Reports

The Media Literacy Lobby: A State-Level Influence Network Backed by Federal Power

In recent years, an expansive network of “media literacy” organizations has quietly achieved major, statewide policy victories across the country, reshaping K–12 curriculum and state education standards. Media literacy has become a top priority of the global censorship industry, including the U.S. federal government under the previous administration. Media literacy initiatives were funded by the…

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USAID Bankrolled BBC Media Action’s Global Initiative Against ‘Information Disorder’

SUMMARY BBC Media Action is the BBC’s international charity, operating one of the largest global media-development networks in the world. BBC Media Action positions itself as a leader in efforts to counter “misinformation,” “disinformation,” and “information disorder.” USAID provided £2.613 million to BBC Media Action in FY 2023–24, representing 8% of the charity’s total income.…

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Foreign to Domestic Switcharoo: The Knight Foundation and USAID

A consistent theme brought to light by FFO’s ongoing efforts to expose the censorship industry is the central role of the U.S. federal government, particularly the foreign policy and security establishment, in providing the funding and impetus to the whole-of-society campaign against “online disinformation.” This state of affairs, which persisted until the second Trump Administration’s…

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UK Lawmakers Won’t Rule Out VPN Ban to Enforce Online Censorship

SUMMARY United Kingdom lawmakers continue to debate banning virtual private networks (VPNs) as part of a measure to crack down on internet freedom following the enactment of the Online Safety Act VPNs have been used to circumvent proof-of-age and other identity requirements for online services as part of the Online Safety Act VPN usage has…

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Pennsylvania Governor Touts New ‘Media Literacy’ Program in Schools

SUMMARY Citing “rising misinformation and violent rhetoric online,” Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro in September 2025 visited a Dauphin County school to highlight the PA Department of Education’s Information and Media Literacy Toolkit, which would give teachers and students to identify misinformation Shapiro during the visit discussed the need to identify “hateful” or “extreme” language on…

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Freedom House VP Spoke on Panel Asking ‘Is Democracy a Democratic Form of Government?’

SUMMARY Less than two months before the 2024 presidential election, Georgetown University hosted an online panel titled “Is Democracy a Democratic Form of Government?” Panelists included the vice president of research at Freedom House, a U.S. State Department-funded nonprofit tracking “democratization” and freedom worldwide. Freedom House received approximately $80 million from the U.S. taxpayer in…

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Wikipedia’s Censorship Controversies Are Multiplying

Beneath Wikipedia’s public brand of crowdsourced objectivity lies a troubling reality: a cadre of ideologically driven editors wielding deletion powers to suppress content that challenges dominant narratives. Recent attempts to erase pages on sensitive topics reveal a pattern of bias, one that undermines free speech and distorts historical records. From downplaying violent crimes to silencing…

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