Lawmakers across parties worry about the Trump administration’s decision to stop funding the Open Technology Fund because leading Republicans view this nonprofit as important for fighting China’s influence. The Open Technology Fund founded its programs in 2012 and works to deliver safety and internet access tools to people whose governments restrict their online rights.
The OTF helps people stay secure online through its work with Signal and internet tools. Through its networks, the organization lets more than six million Chinese users and 18 million Iranian users access internet censored content and connect to sites like Reddit, secure messaging platforms X, and Telegram. On March 14 President Trump took away USAGM’s funding strength which caused OTF to lose its $43.5 million yearly budget.
Leading politicians from every party call on the administration to stop this decision because they strongly oppose it. Governments worldwide and their people worry about the dangers OTF technology creates when people try to avoid internet watch. The GOP advocates for the position of OTF because it protects US security by blocking online censorship from the Chinese government. Several members of Congress contacted the administration about OTF while freedom advocators around the planet face increased risks.
