"The CIA World Factbook occupies a special place in the memories of elder Millennials like me. It was an enormous compendium of essential facts about every country around the world, carefully collected from across the federal government. This felt especially precious when the World Factbook went online in 1997 (it had previously been a classified internal publication printed on paper, then a declassified print resource), a time when the internet still felt new and unsettled."
"Memories are now the only place the World Factbook resides. In a post online yesterday, the agency noted that the site "has sunset," though it provided no explanation for why. (The agency did not immediately reply to my inquiry about why, nor has it replied to other outlets.) The Associated Press noted that the move "follows a vow from Director John Ratcliffe to end programs that don't advance the agency's core missions.""
The CIA’s World Factbook website has been discontinued, removing a long-standing public compendium of country-level data that began online in 1997 after prior classified origins. The Factbook provided reliable, government-collected facts that were widely used for education and reference. The agency offered no explanation and did not respond to inquiries about the shutdown. The Associated Press reported the closure followed Director John Ratcliffe’s pledge to end programs not advancing core missions. The removal forms part of a broader pattern under the Trump administration of steps that restrict access to data, which can erode a shared informational framework for the public.
Read at The Atlantic
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