America First Legal (AFL) released a raft of documents Thursday that the foundation says implicates the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in a "vast, government-backed censorship operation" designed to "silence Americans."
Obtained through ongoing litigation against the State Department's Global Engagement Center (GEC), the documents reportedly reveal "a disturbing alliance" between the GEC; USAID; the British Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office; and media censorship agencies, that the legal group claims were "all working in lock-step to manipulate public discourse, control media narratives, and suppress free speech."
Prior to shutting down in December, the GEC's stated mission was to "combat foreign disinformation abroad." However, the foundation says it has uncovered evidence that shows the center repeatedly "engaged in state-sponsored propaganda" by working with "willing participants" from media organizations.
The AFL's lawsuit against the GEC also reportedly revealed that USAID had developed a "Disinformation Primer" that endorsed censorship strategies used in the private sector and "recommended further censorship tactics."
"The partnership between USAID and the Global Engagement Center is bad news for the American people," Andrew Block, America First Legal senior counsel, said in a statement. "Add in the fact that they were coordinating with internet censorship enforcers at NewsGuard and Poynter, and you can start to see just how dangerous this unholy alliance is for free speech and free expression. Thankfully, the GEC is shuttered and USAID is being exposed — but lawmakers should take note of this example as they consider legislation to ensure the federal government actually serves American principles and interests."
According to AFL, the newly-released documents show that the GEC and USAID coordinated their efforts "to censor 'COVID-19 misinformation' and counter 'COVID-19 propaganda,'" and that GEC employees "collaborated" with officials from the British Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office on "disinformation efforts."
They also reportedly reveal that the GEC teamed up with private-sector internet censorship firms, such as NewsGuard and Poynter, to use artificial intelligence tools to monitor for "misinformation."
In what the legal group identified as a widely-distributed email to USAID, the GEC's "Liaison Planner to USAID" said the GEC would like to "sustain dialogue and connectivity during these unprecedented times" to help counter "misinformation" surrounding the COVID-19 virus.
The records show that the GEC communicated extensively with a number of USAID branches, including "TF 2020-COVID 19," "Digital Development," "Asia Bureau ES Taskers," "Asia Outreach," "Conflict Prevention and Stabilization (CPS) Policy," and "CPS Africa."
Additionally, the GEC and USAID partnered on a range of "counter-propaganda" and "Disinformation and COVID-19 related products," AFL found.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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