Today, February 8th, I learned that the CIA World Factbook, a government database with overviews of every world country, detailing their history, government, demographics, and other general information had been… deleted? As a longtime user, I felt a sense of frustrated disbelief, borderlining on grief. How could a resource containing information that has been meticulously compiled for the past half-a-century simply be taken out of the public eye? And, how had I not heard about this until today, four days after the shutdown date of February 4th? 

When I look at the general “front page” news of major news sites such as NPR and CNN, I am swarmed by updates about the Olympics or Superbowl and cannot easily find any lingering mention about this event that, in my mind, should occupy more than a single day’s featuring in national news. This makes me wonder if it is a coincidence that a high-profile closure like this coincides with these major sports events that intend to inflate our national pride. In fact, I stumbled by chance across the realization that this longtime beloved source of many had been terminated; I was procrastinating my homework by taking the NPR news quiz, which also mentioned, among other things, the lack of recognition of Golden Retrievers in the Westminster Dog Show and the declining price of snacking chips. (Although, the title was, at least, and somewhat cynically: “What does the CIA not want you to know? The quiz has the secret”). My Firefox browser, which usually displays an array of articles from various sites along with a fair number of well-disguised advertisements for insurance agencies, decided to recommend a review of Taylor Swift’s new music video instead. It almost feels like the distraction was purposeful. 

The announcement by the CIA, which comprises a few sparse paragraphs in the style of a badly-written obituary, appears to have been composed in a few minutes. No reason is mentioned for the removal, although we may speculate that the current administration’s disregard for allotting a few cents from the national budget for maintenance of educational websites may have something to do with it. The ending of the database also occurred sporadically, without the usual post that may be seen on websites to warn of their impending closure at least a few weeks before. There was no opportunity for a private entity to save the information contained in the book or for anyone to download any of the images. What I find most puzzling is that the website contained relatively “unbiased” information: simple statistics, recipes, photographs, historical overviews. The New York Times notes, “It was so trustworthy that it earned its own “Jeopardy!” category in 2020.” There was nothing “controversial” in it, unless it is data about the wider world itself that has become controversial.  

The CIA recognizes the importance of the Factbook in the announcement, citing the accessibility of the photos it contained, its “millions of views each year” and noting how it “appealed to researchers, news organizations, teachers, students, and international travelers.” Then, somewhat contradictorily and halfheartedly, in what I imagine is the voice of a tired office worker that doesn’t want to be the one to break the news, the announcement concludes by postulating that “in the spirit of its global reach and legacy, we hope you will stay curious about the world and find ways to explore it… in person or virtually.”

As someone who is far more privileged than most Americans, I may be able to continue to “explore” the world, and I certainly hope to do so throughout my life, by getting the opportunity to travel and to read different sources. But, for many and perhaps most, the Factbook represented the accessibility of information. It had no paywall, unlike a large quantity of academic websites, and it did not require the purchase of plane tickets that are financially out-of-reach. What the CIA is implying here is that it is no longer the occupation of the government to ensure the public can receive an education. Apparently, that’s for the common folk to figure out now by themselves, by being “curious” and in other (notably unspecified but likely monetary) “ways.” 

I believe I first opened the Factbook in Mr. Fazio’s History class in 7th grade. I remember the introduction statement being something along the lines of “to show you what we really do, not exactly how pop culture portrays us.” I used to fantasize about the lives of these people collecting the data and would occasionally stop into the Factbook for the next several years, perusing its information, if ever I was interested by, say, a recipe for Argentinian food or the religious makeup of Germany. Now, I wonder, if the CIA is no longer travelling the world collecting information to give Americans (and the globe) a more accurate and complete depiction of the diversity of cultures and societies in existence, then what is it doing, and whose interests is it serving?

If the government no longer has the means to invest in the maintenance of educational databases, then why not leave them open, perhaps with a disclaimer that they may not be completely updated? In my mind, this is far superior to simply destroying them in the span of a day. I’m sure that the people who made this decision are aware of the alternatives, though. No, the shutdown of the CIA World Factbook, one of my favorite places to visit on the internet, feels like just one more well-planned method (remember the NIH?) to make knowledge “classified,” as the CIA would put it, from those who do not have the means to seek it out, before we even have the chance to glance back over our shoulders.