As of Saturday, a concerning trend has emerged with several US government websites going offline, including those linked to USAID and various youth programs in Africa. A recent analysis by WIRED revealed that multiple federal .gov websites, including USAID.gov and Youth.gov, disappeared within a two-hour window on a Saturday afternoon.
The sudden takedowns were reportedly due to confusion surrounding new guidelines on the language allowed on federal websites. Agencies were instructed to remove any content promoting gender ideology by a specific deadline, leading to the removal of several sites. This move is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the US government, following previous removals like ReproductiveRights.gov.
Employees at USAID are struggling to save crucial documents and information as they face restricted access to their systems. The situation has left many in the dark about the future of these websites and the agency as a whole. Other government sites, such as HealthData.gov and Oversight.gov, have also experienced temporary blackouts, with some explicitly stating maintenance for compliance with executive orders.
WIRED’s ongoing monitoring of government domains has revealed over 450 consistently offline sites, raising questions about when these removals occurred. Recent executive orders have led to the suspension of USAID’s work abroad and the removal of critical health resources from agencies like the CDC. The push to eliminate DEI roles and programs within federal agencies has further fueled concerns about the future of government websites and services.
As of February 2, additional US government websites, including feedthefuture.gov and sandia.gov, continue to face issues, adding to the growing list of disappearing online resources.