Trump Administration Shuts Down CIA World Factbook

The Trump administration, on February 4, abruptly shuttered The World Factbook, a comprehensive map and reference manual of global information published by the United States===Central Intelligence Agency for over six decades. The United States===Central Intelligence Agency framed the move as a step towards progress, indicating a change in its core mission. This decision has been met with grief and concern from students, researchers, and the public who relied on the Factbook as a free and widely accepted source of unbiased information. Critics suggest the move aligns with an administration that has promoted 'alternative facts' and raises questions about the future availability of reliable public data. The Factbook's origins trace back to post-Pearl Harbor intelligence efforts and its public release in 1975 was partly to improve the United States===Central Intelligence Agency's image after congressional investigations into abuses.