The Trump administration is taking increasingly alarming measures, endangering not only the free access to the internet for millions of people but also the national security of the United States. Through a controversial executive order, the former president ordered the restructuring of independent agencies „to the greatest extent possible,” directly affecting the Open Technology Fund (OTF), a vital organization for combating online censorship in authoritarian regimes.
OTF is at risk of disappearing, which would mean the loss of an essential tool in the fight against the influence of regimes such as Beijing’s. Even Republicans are expressing concern.
Donald Trump decided to cut funding for the Open Technology Fund (OTF), an organization that helped people in countries like China, Iran, and Russia to evade their governments' censorship and access the free internet. In essence, OTF funded programs and applications that helped users navigate the internet without being surveilled or blocked by authoritarian regimes.
OTF started as a pilot program in 2012 under Radio Free Asia and became an independent grantee of the USAGM in 2019. One of its main missions was combating China's Great Firewall by funding VPNs and other technologies meant to facilitate free internet access.
During Trump's first term, then-USAGM CEO Michael Pack tried to stop OTF funding, but these efforts were blocked by lawmakers from both parties, who agreed that the organization is essential for combating Chinese and Russian surveillance, protecting human rights activists and journalists, as reported by The Washington Post.
By February 2024, OTF was funding tools used by over 6 million people in China and 18 million in Iran to bypass government restrictions on accessing news sites, secure messaging services, and social platforms like Reddit, Telegram, and X, according to data analyzed by the American newspaper.
Trump's Decision Met with Harsh Criticism
By signing an executive order on Friday, President Donald Trump directed independent agencies, including the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the source of almost all of OTF's annual budget of $43.5 million, to be restructured "to the greatest extent possible." This measure effectively led to the cancellation of OTF funding.
Trump's decision to cut the organization's funding was met with criticism from Congress, including from some Republicans.
Michael McCaul, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, warned that this measure directly impacts US efforts to counter surveillance and propaganda from authoritarian regimes.
How Does This Affect the US?
- Weakens American influence globally – OTF was an important tool through which the US supported freedom of expression in countries controlled by repressive regimes. If this organization disappears, millions of people will have fewer chances to learn the truth about what's happening in the world.
- Indirectly aids US adversaries – China, Iran, Russia, and other states that control their populations through censorship will now have more power to surveil their citizens. Without OTF, people in these countries will have fewer options to escape government control.
- Affects national security – The US used OTF to fight propaganda and disinformation from China or Russia. Now, without this support, America's adversaries will have a greater advantage in manipulating information and blocking their population's access to independent news sources.
What's the Connection to China?
China has one of the strictest censorship systems in the world, known as the "Great Firewall." The Chinese government blocks access to Western sites like Google, Facebook, YouTube, and many others, so that Chinese citizens cannot see critical information about the communist regime.
OTF funded technologies that allowed people in China to bypass these restrictions and see what's really happening in the world.
By cutting OTF funding, Trump makes it harder for Chinese people to access the free internet and gives an advantage to the Beijing regime, which can more easily control its population.
Reactions and Possible Consequences
The cancellation of OTF funding has prompted members of Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, to pressure the Trump administration to save the program. However, its future remains uncertain, according to anonymous sources cited by The Washington Post.
By the end of the month, millions of people — from ordinary citizens to dissidents — could lose access to the free internet and secure messaging platforms in countries like China, Russia, Iran, Myanmar, and Cuba. This could expose them to risks if they have to resort to less secure technologies.
"We are leaving real people unprotected in China and beyond," said Laura Cunningham, OTF president. "Without our technologies, we expose them to surveillance, persecution, or even greater dangers."
However, the Trump administration argued that the reorganization will improve US diplomatic efforts.