The internet, a global phenomenon, is under threat. A critical program, once a cornerstone of digital freedom, is now in jeopardy. This story unravels the impact of a significant funding cut, revealing its potential consequences for internet users worldwide.
For nearly two decades, the US quietly supported a global initiative, known as Internet Freedom, to prevent the internet from becoming fragmented and controlled by authoritarian regimes. This program funded grassroots efforts in countries like Iran, China, and the Philippines, empowering them with technologies to bypass government-imposed internet restrictions. With over $500 million invested in the past decade, it seemed like a well-oiled machine.
But here's where it gets controversial: the arrival of Doge, an initiative under the Trump administration, aimed at reducing the size of US government agencies. As a result, the Internet Freedom program faced significant cuts, with many of its staff resigning or being let go. The main funding office issued no grants in 2025, and a lawsuit to restore some funding is now being appealed by the Trump administration.
And this is the part most people miss: the Trump administration also withdrew from the Freedom Online Coalition, a global alliance dedicated to defending digital rights.
The cuts could have a profound impact. Technologies that helped Iranians coordinate during anti-government protests and share videos of massacres with the world might now be at risk. Similar efforts in Myanmar to bypass the junta's control and the ability of users in China to avoid surveillance could also be affected.
A former US official described the program as "effectively gutted," highlighting the absence of grants this year. A digital rights expert based in Europe, who has worked with Internet Freedom, echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the program's crucial role despite wishing for a less dependent world.
To understand the full picture, The Guardian spoke to ten people with knowledge of Internet Freedom, including six grantees, and reviewed relevant documents.
The purpose of the program was to prevent what North Korea and Iran have achieved: cutting off an entire population from the global internet. The US aimed to achieve this by funding groups capable of developing and utilizing technologies to evade restrictions and censorship. These include well-known tools like Signal and Tor, but also more advanced technologies that can leap over powerful censorship regimes, such as China's firewall, or obtain international news in Iran during network outages.
The soft-power goal was to maintain the internet as a global commons, accessible to all. By funding these groups, the US made censorship costly and difficult for oppressive governments. As the former US official explained, challenging censorship forces governments to either open their internet or isolate themselves like North Korea, both of which are costly options.
"Internet Freedom funded the development of many censorship-circumvention technologies that millions worldwide rely on to stay connected," said Doug Madory, an internet infrastructure expert. He emphasized the passion and dedication of the people behind these technologies, often working with limited resources from their homes.
Most recipients of this funding keep it quiet due to the potential dangers in some countries. However, as the funds dwindle, more organizations, including journalists, activists, and civil society groups, are seeking out these technologies and the groups that build them. With censorship regimes worsening worldwide, the need for these tools is greater than ever.
"It's a massive blow," said the digital rights expert. "The need is bigger, and other funding sources are also gone. Organizations providing these tools are overwhelmed. It's not sustainable."
Some groups working on these technologies have had to lay off staff or continue without pay. A few hold onto hope that some funding can be restored, although they fear the Trump administration might politicize its aims. Others describe themselves as existing in a brief grace period as the remaining funds run out.
"Everybody's waiting right now, honestly," said an Iranian technologist funded through Internet Freedom. "But waiting comes with risks."
Meanwhile, censorship technology is becoming cheaper and more accessible. Chinese companies have exported sophisticated middleboxes to countries in Africa and Asia, allowing regimes like Iran's to fine-tune their control over the internet, continuing commerce while throttling communication.
Several recipients of US funding expressed hope that Europe might step in to fund these technologies. Some have already petitioned EU officials for support.
The cuts make it easier for regimes to build digital iron curtains, isolating their populations and controlling the flow of information. As one recipient put it, "It makes it easier for the Kremlin, China, and Iran to create digital bubbles that reinforce specific narratives."
The future of internet freedom hangs in the balance, and the impact of these funding cuts could be felt for years to come.
