It’s official your U.S. government is legally allowed to use propaganda on you. In 2013 Congress passed the Smith-Mundt Moderation Act. The act overturned a prohibition in place since 1948 which banned the U.S. from domestically distributing propaganda created for foreign audiences. With the passage of the Moderation Act, the State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) are now allowed to use their foreign intended propaganda in the United States.

You don’t have to look long to find the dangers of unchecked propaganda. In 2012 the Pentagon’s top propaganda producers were accused of a smear campaign by USA Today. USA Today had investigated and criticized Pentagon propaganda contractors for poor job performance and for millions of unpaid taxes. USA Today claimed multiple fake social media accounts, fake websites, and fake Wikipedia pages were created to ruin the reputation of USA Today’s journalists. Eventually one of the co-ownerrs of the propaganda firm confessed to the smear campaign.

Learn more about the Smith Mundt Act here:

U.S. Repeals Propaganda Ban, Spreads Government-Made News to Americans | Foreign Policy