After 62 years of informing the world, the CIA is pulling the plug on the World Factbook. The agency’s website carried the terse announcement on Wednesday, ending a resource that evolved from classified intel aid to a public treasure trove.
No official explanation accompanied the news, per local outlets. Insiders link it to Director John Ratcliffe’s push to sunset initiatives misaligned with core spying duties.
Debuting in 1962 as a bound, top-secret guide for operatives, it detailed foreign lands’ financials, defenses, assets, and demographics with precision. Demand surged, spilling into other U.S. agencies and necessitating a public, redacted release soon after.
The online era began in 1997, cementing its status as go-to for media pros, knowledge seekers, and campus scribes. Annual traffic hit millions, underscoring its reach.
Layered against this is the Trump administration’s early-second-term austerity at CIA and NSA, slashing personnel and budgets. Agencies now scramble to do more with less.
CIA stonewalled comment requests. Recall Ratcliffe’s blunt Senate words last year: ‘The CIA isn’t where it ought to be.’ He pegged China as foe numero uno, with Russia, Iran, DPRK, cartels, hackers, and militants rounding out dangers.
Strategically, ditching the Factbook reallocates bandwidth to urgent threats. Yet, for civilians reliant on its neutral, exhaustive profiles, the void is palpable.
As geopolitical stakes rise, this cut reflects intelligence priorities sharpening amid resource crunches. Will commercial databases fill the gap, or has open-access global intel become collateral in the efficiency drive?