Global Disinformation Index — US Taxpayer-Funded NGO Systematically Defunds Conservative Outlets
Investigative reporting by the Washington Examiner exposed that the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), a UK-based NGO, had received funding from the US State Department and USAGM's Open Technology Fund while operating a "dynamic exclusion list" — a blocklist advising programmatic advertisers to defund specific news outlets. GDI's ratings systematically scored conservative and heterodox outlets (including the New York Post, Washington Examiner, Reason, and The Federalist) as high-risk for disinformation while rating mainstream liberal-leaning outlets as low-risk. The methodology was not peer-reviewed and GDI refused to disclose its rating criteria. The report prompted congressional investigations and ultimately the withdrawal of US government funding.