Barack Obama and Joe Biden did not “get rid of” the Smith-Mundt Act in 2013; it was amended , not repealed. The change came through the National Defense Authorization Act signed by Obama, and it loosened restrictions so some U.S. government-produced foreign broadcasting could be made available in the U.S. upon request.

What actually changed

The original Smith-Mundt law was a Cold War-era rule limiting domestic dissemination of certain U.S. government international broadcasts. In 2013, Congress modernized it so Americans could access that material more easily, but it did not make it legal for the government to run domestic propaganda or force media outlets to lie.

Why the claim is misleading

People often say Obama “repealed” the act, but that is false. The law still exists, and the amendment affected only the handling of U.S. Agency for Global Media content, not all news media or social media.

Simple version

  • Not repealed: The Smith-Mundt Act remained in place.
  • Amended in 2013: Domestic access to some government international broadcasts was eased.
  • Not a media-control law: It did not give permission for newspapers, TV, or online outlets to “lie legally.”

Bottom line

So the accurate answer is: Obama and Biden were part of an administration that signed a 2013 amendment to modernize the law, but they did not “get rid of” Smith-Mundt.

TL;DR: It was modified , not abolished.