A lawsuit filed by The Federalist, The Daily Wire, and the state of Texas alleges that the U.S. State Department is engaging in a flagrant violation of the U.S. Constitution by funding technology aimed at stifling Americans’ freedom of speech when questioning government narratives. This lawsuit, considered one of the most significant abuses of power in American history, reveals the State Department’s unlawful utilization of a counterterrorism center meant for foreign “disinformation” to suppress American citizens’ speech that government officials disagree with.
Through financial backing and development aid to private entities like the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) and NewsGuard, the State Department has purportedly intervened in the news-media market to render disapproved press outlets unprofitable. By funding the creation, infrastructure, and promotion of censorship technology, they clandestinely curtail the speech of certain segments of the American press, the lawsuit claims.
This lawsuit is part of a series of inquiries uncovering federal censorship endeavors executed through private proxies. Missouri v. Biden’s findings revealed government officials altering content moderation policies of social media monopolies through threats. There have also been allegations of federal agencies creating private organizations to circumvent constitutional restrictions on curtailing Americans’ speech.
The lawsuit specifically implicates the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC), which has transitioned into the lead coordinator of the government’s speech-silencing efforts. The GEC, initially established as a counterterrorism agency under President Obama, has evaluated and funded various internet disinformation tools to control online speech, collaborating with entities such as Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
Furthermore, the lawsuit identifies that the State Department’s funded censorship tools have targeted conservative outlets like The Federalist and The Daily Wire. Entities like NewsGuard and GDI use these tools, developed with government assistance, to defund government-critical news outlets by misleadingly labeling them as “disinformation” sources, resulting in revenue cuts from major advertising companies.
The lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of Texas federal court, aims for a declaration that the State Department’s funding and promotion of internet censorship tools are unconstitutional and seeks an order to cease these activities.
