Key Group in Government-Linked Censorship Network Boasted of Defunding News Outlets
- May 20, 2025
Dan Frieth, Reclaim the Net
Freshly unearthed records show that the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), a UK-based organization long-funded by US government-linked entities, highlighted its success in suppressing American media outlets, despite repeated denials from its funders that any of its activities were aimed at domestic targets.
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which receives taxpayer support and was one of GDI’s financial backers, has publicly maintained that it “never funded, supported, or authorized” GDI efforts “involved [with] the United States or was directed at U.S. media outlets.” Yet internal reports obtained by the watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust and published by Just the News suggest the opposite.
Contained within these documents are quarterly reports submitted by GDI to NED, as well as a full grant agreement detailing the group’s activities. Far from focusing exclusively on foreign disinformation, the reports reveal a sustained campaign targeting US news organizations and audiences.
In one update, GDI touted a blog post it published titled “How Disinformation Fueled the Siege of the U.S. Capitol” and pointed to media coverage of its co-founder, Dr. Danny Rogers, by prominent American outlets. GDI also praised its partnership with Infolinks Media, a US-based advertising tech company connected with major brands like Nike and Netflix.