- The US is withdrawing from 66 organizations, including two digital rights groups
- Marco Rubio says groups ‘actively seek to limit American sovereignty’
- The digital rights groups promote internet freedom and build cyber resilience
The United States has withdrawn from 66 international organizations that the Trump administration considers “contrary to the country’s interests.”
The list, which includes UN climate treaties and groups working on development, equality and conflict resolution, also targets two organizations working to make the internet a safer and fairer place: the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) and the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE).
The executive order, which was signed by President Trump on Wednesday, directs all US agencies to immediately cease participating in and funding the listed groups.
The Freedom Online Coalition is a group of more than 40 governments working together to promote a world “where the use of the Internet and digital technologies strengthens human rights, democracy and the rule of law.”
Similarly, the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise brings together over 250 members from governments, the private sector, academia and civil society around the world.
In an email to TechRadar, it said its mission is to “strengthen the cyber resilience of nations to help build digital economies while advocating for an open, free and secure internet for all.”
In a press release, Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that many of the organizations added to the list were created to promote “peace and cooperation.”
However, he argues that they have since “transformed into a sprawling architecture of global governance, often dominated by progressive ideology and detached from national interests.”
Digital rights under fire
This is not the first time the US has targeted organizations that promote digital rights. Last year, the Open Technology Fund (OTF) saw its budget cut amid broader cuts at the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM).
The OTF provides critical support for anti-censorship technologies – including VPNs and Tor – as well as research that advocates for global digital rights.
The group filed a legal challenge to the cuts in March 2025. While a court injunction means OTF continues to receive funding, litigation is ongoing.
Other entities caught in the crosshairs include Freedom House, which publishes the annual Freedom on the Net report, and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which funds human and digital rights advocacy on the ground worldwide.
A blow to global coordination
The loss of US support is expected to put significant pressure on the Freedom Online Coalition and the GFCE, affecting both their reach and resources.
This, in turn, could seriously hamper their capacity to achieve their stated goals: to improve Internet freedom and promote cyber capability and expertise around the world.
Combined with funding cuts to other international organizations, the digital rights sector now faces unprecedented challenges. It remains unclear whether other democratic nations have the capacity – or the political will – to step in and match the scale of US support.
In a statement, the GFCE said it “respects the US government’s decision.”
“The GFCE community remains fully committed to their shared mission of strengthening cyber capabilities through practical collaboration, knowledge sharing and multi-stakeholder engagement,” the group added.
TechRadar has reached out to the Freedom Online Coalition for comment. We will update this page when they respond.
