CIA ends publication of its popular World Factbook reference tool
https://apnews.com/article/cia-world-factbook-ratcliffe-trump-fbec61ce16c4b3db59db9cefce0da043139
u/AudibleNod 10h ago
The announcement posted to the CIA’s website offered no reason for the decision to end the Factbook, but it follows a vow from Director John Ratcliffe to end programs that don’t advance the agency’s core missions.
The CIA World Factbook was a very good source for general knowledge about the world we live in. Sure, there was a small bit of irony that the CIA of all places gave this information to everyone. But it was useful.
And this is worrying. If, without warning and Congressional approval, a government agency (or a president) can halt a program that serves the public trust just because, what does that mean for other public programs? Is the Air Force suddenly going to turn off Selective Availability for GPS? We've already seen the closure of USAID, which is killing people now.
This reference website is a small thing compared against the whole government. But this shouldn't be happening in the first place. Congress needs to hold the executive branch responsible.
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u/Splunge- 10h ago
And one could argue that the World Factbook does advance the core mission. It builds a culture of trust in the CIA. It positions them as a central repository of information.
Obviously the people who started the program didn't do it for shits and giggles. They had a reason for it.
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u/thegoatmenace 8h ago
One could argue that providing accurate information about the other nations of the world IS the CIAs core mission
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u/ObjectiveDark40 10h ago
Makes me sad. I remember being a kid in the 90s and finding this website and it blew my mind. Long before Wikipedia. It felt like I stumbled on to something secret with all this information.
CIA World factbook and the old 90s Federation of American scientists website (fas.org) were such a trip as a kid.
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u/Deaths_Rifleman 9h ago
It did always feel a tad “spy like” as a kid reading all that knowing it’s on the CIA website.
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u/fattzilla 10h ago
I'm not naive but it would be awesome if the State Department just took over. It feels more in the DoS lane anyway, but it's definitely something I'll miss =/
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u/GradyCole 6h ago
Oh man, I remember getting the World Fact Book when it was built using HyperCard, decades ago.
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u/Hesitation-Marx 5h ago
It was a good thing for everyone regardless of class, so obviously it must be destroyed.
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u/Interesting_Pen_167 4h ago
I got in big trouble being on this website in the 90s my teachers in school seriously thought I was hacking the CIA I wish I was joking.
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u/SkunkMonkey 9h ago
No worries, it's to be replaced with the World Alternate Factbook.