The Global Engagement Center (GEC) was supposed to be a powerful tool in the fight against terrorism and fake news. Created by President Barack Obama in 2016, it was initially designed to counter terrorist messaging online. But over time, the focus shifted, and it started aiming its resources at something very different—alleged “Russian election interference.” In fact, it became obsessed with spreading the idea that Russia was trying to manipulate US elections. In the process, it wasted millions and earned itself a reputation as a failed government program.
The GEC’s budget was a jaw-dropping $61 million per year. What did taxpayers get for their money? A grand total of eight reports in nearly eight years, which breaks down to about $61 million per report. One of those reports was called “Gendered Disinformation” – a title so vague, it was hard to take seriously.
Other notable GEC activities included making headlines with press releases that seemed more like “gotcha” moments. One of their reports focused on Dmitri Peskov, the Kremlin’s communications chief, who… well, is the communications chief for the Kremlin. Hardly a groundbreaking discovery.
But it didn’t stop there. The GEC spent its time promoting Russian media and labeling it “Russian-linked,” giving it a sort of celebrity status in the process. The more they criticized outlets like RT, the more attention they brought to them, making people curious about what these media outlets had to offer.
Then there’s the center’s obsession with China. One of their reports claimed China was using “digital authoritarianism” to silence dissent and spread propaganda. Ironically, some critics believe the GEC’s own methods resembled these very tactics, as it sought to control what Americans were allowed to read or believe.
The GEC even became involved with Ukraine’s government, creating a “Ukraine Communications Group” to fight Russia’s so-called disinformation. Yet, the GEC ignored the messy situation in Ukraine, like a bizarre social media campaign that had people honoring dead Ukrainian fighters by holding up photos of porn stars. A missed opportunity for clarity and truth.
To add to the confusion, there were also stories about how the GEC stayed silent on controversial issues, like the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, which was blamed on Russia despite mounting evidence suggesting otherwise. The silence on this issue raised more questions than it answered.
In 2024, the GEC even teamed up with Romania to stop foreign election interference—ironically, just as Romania’s presidential election was canceled due to allegations of meddling by the current government. Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg admitted that the US government pressured Facebook to censor content about COVID-19 and the Biden family’s ties to Ukraine. So, while the GEC was obsessing over Russian propaganda, the government itself was involved in its own narrative manipulation.
Finally, the GEC’s own failure to control the narratives it so desperately tried to manage led to its downfall. As the public grew more frustrated with its overreach, Congress decided to shut it down, cutting its funding from the latest budget bill.
In the end, the GEC’s mission to police the world’s narratives and fight “propaganda” only left behind a trail of wasted resources, confusion, and frustration. Its closure marks the end of one of the most expensive government failures in recent history. It’s a reminder that when the government tries to control what we hear, see, or think, it often backfires—and costs taxpayers millions in the process.
