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Open Technology Fund
The Open Technology Fund (OTF) is an American nonprofit corporation that aims to support global Internet freedom technologies. Its mission is to "support open technologies and communities that increase free expression, circumvent censorship, and obstruct repressive surveillance as a way to promote human rights and open societies." Until its formation as an independent entity, the Open Technology Fund had operated as a program of Radio Free Asia. As of November 2019, the Open Technology Fund became an independent nonprofit corporation and a grantee of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. On March 14, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order that directed that the U.S. Agency for Global Media be eliminated "to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law", along with several other agencies.
The Open Technology Fund was started in 2012 by Libby Liu, then president of Radio Free Asia (RFA), as a pilot program within RFA to help better protect reporters and sources for the news organization with enhanced digital security technology. Under U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the State Department adopted a policy of supporting global internet freedom initiatives. At this time, RFA began looking into technologies that helped their audiences avoid censorship and surveillance. Journalist Eli Lake argued that Clinton's policy was "heavily influenced by the Internet activism that helped organize the green revolution in Iran in 2009 and other revolutions in the Arab world in 2010 and 2011".
In September 2014, the OTF worked with Google and Dropbox to create an organization called Simply Secure to help improve the usability of privacy tools.
In March 2017, the OTF's future was reported as under question due to the Trump administration's unclear positions on Internet freedom issues. However, the OTF continued to receive Congressional funding under the Trump administration.
In November 2019, OTF announced it had become an independent nonprofit corporation. The OTF has funded digital privacy and security technology, including The Tor Project, Signal, and other encryption projects.
In June 2020, Libby Liu resigned as CEO of OTF (see § Dispute over board).
On March 14, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing federal agencies to reduce their functions “to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law,” including the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which disburses congressionally approved funding to OTF. The following day, USAGM senior advisor Kari Lake announced the termination of the OTF’s federal grant, stating that the “award no longer effectuates agency priorities.”
In response, OTF filed suit against USAGM seeking the release of congressionally appropriated funds. In its court filings, OTF argued that the termination would prevent an estimated 45 million users living under authoritarian regimes from accessing tools that enable uncensored access to the Internet and secure communications. The organization further claimed that, as the largest funder in the space, “the vast majority of internet freedom technology projects anywhere in the world will cease and the internet freedom technology field as whole will be largely decimated.”
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Open Technology Fund
The Open Technology Fund (OTF) is an American nonprofit corporation that aims to support global Internet freedom technologies. Its mission is to "support open technologies and communities that increase free expression, circumvent censorship, and obstruct repressive surveillance as a way to promote human rights and open societies." Until its formation as an independent entity, the Open Technology Fund had operated as a program of Radio Free Asia. As of November 2019, the Open Technology Fund became an independent nonprofit corporation and a grantee of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. On March 14, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order that directed that the U.S. Agency for Global Media be eliminated "to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law", along with several other agencies.
The Open Technology Fund was started in 2012 by Libby Liu, then president of Radio Free Asia (RFA), as a pilot program within RFA to help better protect reporters and sources for the news organization with enhanced digital security technology. Under U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the State Department adopted a policy of supporting global internet freedom initiatives. At this time, RFA began looking into technologies that helped their audiences avoid censorship and surveillance. Journalist Eli Lake argued that Clinton's policy was "heavily influenced by the Internet activism that helped organize the green revolution in Iran in 2009 and other revolutions in the Arab world in 2010 and 2011".
In September 2014, the OTF worked with Google and Dropbox to create an organization called Simply Secure to help improve the usability of privacy tools.
In March 2017, the OTF's future was reported as under question due to the Trump administration's unclear positions on Internet freedom issues. However, the OTF continued to receive Congressional funding under the Trump administration.
In November 2019, OTF announced it had become an independent nonprofit corporation. The OTF has funded digital privacy and security technology, including The Tor Project, Signal, and other encryption projects.
In June 2020, Libby Liu resigned as CEO of OTF (see § Dispute over board).
On March 14, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing federal agencies to reduce their functions “to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law,” including the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which disburses congressionally approved funding to OTF. The following day, USAGM senior advisor Kari Lake announced the termination of the OTF’s federal grant, stating that the “award no longer effectuates agency priorities.”
In response, OTF filed suit against USAGM seeking the release of congressionally appropriated funds. In its court filings, OTF argued that the termination would prevent an estimated 45 million users living under authoritarian regimes from accessing tools that enable uncensored access to the Internet and secure communications. The organization further claimed that, as the largest funder in the space, “the vast majority of internet freedom technology projects anywhere in the world will cease and the internet freedom technology field as whole will be largely decimated.”