Post

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 simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/5/t...

simonwillison.netSpotlighting The World Factbook as We Bid a Fond FarewellSomewhat devastating news today from the CIA: One of CIA’s oldest and most recognizable intelligence publications, The World Factbook, has sunset. There's not even a hint as to why they …

Ken Schwencke

@schwanksta.com

5 Feb

I feel like you should be able to FOIA the most recent copy

Simon Willison

@simonwillison.net

Maybe if we ALL do that they'll decide it's cheaper just to put the website back up again

5/2/26, 12:48 am8 reposts213 likes

Shirley Siluk

@ebishirl.bsky.social

5 Feb

Unfortunately, it seems that a MAGA-friendly publisher intends to make a profit from selling it in paperback or ebook format.

Kevin H Bell

@kevinhbell.bsky.social

5 Feb

There is a rule under FOIA that any record released by the agency in response to 3 or more requests has to be put on the agency's reading room, so this is actually true and I'm already drafting the request

Cramd 🇨🇦

@cramd.bsky.social

5 Feb

Ha, that will be labeled as national security issues. Who is going to enforce the law? While I hope I'm wrong, I just don't see the courts enforcing anything that is not what Trump says