The State Department is seeking help teaching Ukrainians how to combat “disinformation” through competitive video games, according to a list of grants released Tuesday.
According to the grant posting, the program will teach Ukrainians how to improve their video game playing skills and provide “counter-disinformation and conflict resolution to combat foreign propaganda and disinformation in the competitive online gaming space. It will provide “training.” Since President Joe Biden took office in 2021, the State Department has launched a wide range of efforts to combat what it considers disinformation, sometimes by funding organizations that work to censor conservatives.
Grant materials issued by the State Department do not detail specifically how training Ukrainians to play video games will combat “disinformation,” but the program is designed to The company aims to “develop e-sports programs” by leveraging the popularity and penetration of video games in Japan. Achieve program goals. (Related: Ted Cruz Grills puts more than $66 million in taxpayer dollars to crack down on 'misinformation')
“Esports” is short for electronic sports and refers to organized multiplayer video gaming competitions that typically involve professional gamers and large audiences.
According to the recruitment, Ukrainian “esports athletes” will receive “professional training” funded by the federal government to “form a talent pipeline for professional teams in Ukraine.” The program culminates with a video game tournament.
The State Department's Ukraine Esports Disinformation Program will cost taxpayers $250,000, according to a list of grants.
In April 2022, the State Department posted a similar grant request aimed at using competitive video games to advance gender equality in India.
“We protect the global information space by exposing and disrupting Russian disinformation campaigns around the world. We exposed their operations in Latin America and are currently updating their latest operations in Africa. “Exposing” – Special Envoy James Rubin https://t.co/46heBbaxC1
— Global Engagement Center (@TheGEC) February 12, 2024
The State Department has previously sought to combat “disinformation” by funding pro-censorship groups.
The department has funded the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), a British organization that provides a blacklist for advertising companies, with the aim of pulling advertising from news outlets accused of disinformation. News organizations flagged for disinformation by GDI included the New York Post, Daily Wire, and Newsmax.
According to the Washington Examiner, GDI's CEO once boasted that the company's blacklist was having a “significant impact on advertising revenue” for the websites it flagged.
Many of the State Department's recent awards and grant solicitations are aimed at influencing foreign media personnel and increasing the State Department's ability to combat what it deems disinformation, according to federal records.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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