In April 2025, employees of the State Department’s Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Hub (R/FIMI) received a sudden email announcing their office’s closure. Acting undersecretary Darren Beattie told the gathered staff that the unit was being shut down, prompting grief and outrage among young officials. Across the department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio celebrated the move, declaring that “We ended government‑sponsored censorship in the United States.” The interview was with right‑wing activist Mike Benz, who has long promoted the theory that a “censorship‑industrial complex” (CIC) suppresses conservative speech under the guise of fighting disinformation.

Benz’s narrative, amplified by a network of far‑right blogs, podcasts, and media outlets, gained traction after early 2023 and eventually influenced the second Trump administration’s dismantling of agencies such as R/FIMI, CISA, and USAID. MIT Technology Review and Type Investigations traced the CIC’s origins, finding that Mike Benz was the most prolific content creator, with his ideas reaching the highest echelons of power. The theory, while containing a grain of truth about increased content moderation after 2016, blends grievances and hidden actors into a potent propaganda campaign.