The CIA just stopped publishing their World Factbook and took every page, including the archived copies of previous versions!
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The CIA just stopped publishing their World Factbook and took every page, including the archived copies of previous versions!
This sucks. It was public domain, so I recovered the 2020 edition (the last one published as a zip file) and shared it to GitHub https://simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/5/the-world-factbook/
@simon removing sources of information is entirely consistent with preferring an uneducated uninformed electorate. I believe it was Reagan‘s advisors that warned him that an educated electorate was a threat to their policies.
So now when the Dear Leader stands up to pontificate about other countries there is no CIA source available to contradict him.
The US is now a backward country with increasing levels of illiteracy and education becoming increasingly unattainable for most
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Something in there was inconvenient.
@simon @KanaMauna don't be ridiculous. There's no particular reason other than: the orange menace doesn't like the word "fact".
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N necrosis@chaos.social shared this topic
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The CIA just stopped publishing their World Factbook and took every page, including the archived copies of previous versions!
This sucks. It was public domain, so I recovered the 2020 edition (the last one published as a zip file) and shared it to GitHub https://simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/5/the-world-factbook/
@simon think also to the internet archive.org band their wayback machine. #github is owned by #microsoft so no guarantees on that forum.
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The CIA just stopped publishing their World Factbook and took every page, including the archived copies of previous versions!
This sucks. It was public domain, so I recovered the 2020 edition (the last one published as a zip file) and shared it to GitHub https://simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/5/the-world-factbook/
@simon thank you!
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A angelacarstensen@mastodon.online shared this topic
S svenja@mstdn.games shared this topic
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@simon @KanaMauna don't be ridiculous. There's no particular reason other than: the orange menace doesn't like the word "fact".
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@simon @KanaMauna don't be ridiculous. There's no particular reason other than: the orange menace doesn't like the word "fact".
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The CIA just stopped publishing their World Factbook and took every page, including the archived copies of previous versions!
This sucks. It was public domain, so I recovered the 2020 edition (the last one published as a zip file) and shared it to GitHub https://simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/5/the-world-factbook/
There was a WB/IBRD World Book published but I remember some political/economic data were from the FUCKEDbook
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@simon facts are the enemy of MAGA.
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2016 version made it into archive.org
Might be good to host the 2020 version and submit it there as well
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The CIA just stopped publishing their World Factbook and took every page, including the archived copies of previous versions!
This sucks. It was public domain, so I recovered the 2020 edition (the last one published as a zip file) and shared it to GitHub https://simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/5/the-world-factbook/
@simon I think it was the word "fact" that let the fascists react. Although, as a European, I would never trust the CIA as a source of facts. Never.
Thanks for saving data. -
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The CIA just stopped publishing their World Factbook and took every page, including the archived copies of previous versions!
This sucks. It was public domain, so I recovered the 2020 edition (the last one published as a zip file) and shared it to GitHub https://simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/5/the-world-factbook/
@simon is there a clearer metaphor of the United States closing itself off from the world and its government closing itself off from any public conversation? Stunning.
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@simon I think it was the word "fact" that let the fascists react. Although, as a European, I would never trust the CIA as a source of facts. Never.
Thanks for saving data.@NatureMC @simon Back in the early internet I used that website often. It was fairly neutral, hard data. A very useful tool. Goverments use intelligence services for all kind of nefarious purposes but intelligence services usually hire a lot of talented people with out of the norm curiosity and interest about the world. The factbook was PR but it was also an expression of that interest and curiosity
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@NatureMC @simon Back in the early internet I used that website often. It was fairly neutral, hard data. A very useful tool. Goverments use intelligence services for all kind of nefarious purposes but intelligence services usually hire a lot of talented people with out of the norm curiosity and interest about the world. The factbook was PR but it was also an expression of that interest and curiosity
@elhombremalo I believe you.
But as a journalist, I trust only independent sources. And you say yourself that it was PR for the CIA.I see the deletion of that site as only a part of the fascist fight against facts, knowledge, and education.
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The CIA just stopped publishing their World Factbook and took every page, including the archived copies of previous versions!
This sucks. It was public domain, so I recovered the 2020 edition (the last one published as a zip file) and shared it to GitHub https://simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/5/the-world-factbook/
@simon what a shame. I used this extensively in undergrad (International Affairs)
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F flumen_calculi@ruhr.social shared this topic
