- US withdraws from 66 organizations, including two digital rights groups
- Marco Rubio says groups “actively seek to limit US sovereignty”
- 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The United States has withdrawn from 66 international organizations that the Trump administration considers “contrary to the interests” of the country.
The list, which includes UN climate treaties and groups working on development, gender equality and conflict resolution, also points to two organizations working to make the Internet a safer and more equitable place: the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) and the Global Forum on Cyber Experience (GFCE).
The executive order, signed by President Trump on Wednesday, directs all US agencies to immediately cease participation in and funding of 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 more than 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 acknowledges that many of the organizations added to the list were created to promote “peace and cooperation.”
However, he maintains that they have since “morphed into an expanding architecture of global governance, often dominated by progressive ideology and divorced from national interests.”
Digital rights under fire
This is not the first time that the United States has attacked organizations that promote digital rights. Last year, the Open Technology Fund (OTF) saw its budget slashed during 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 investigations that defend global digital rights.
The group filed a legal challenge against the cuts in March 2025. While a court order means the OTF continues to receive funding, the litigation continues.
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 rights and digital rights advocacy on the ground around the world.
A blow to global coordination
The loss of US support is expected to place significant pressure on the Freedom Online Coalition and the GFCE, affecting both their reach and resources.
This, in turn, could severely hamper its ability to achieve its stated goals: improving Internet freedoms and promoting cyber capability and expertise around the world.
Combined with funding cuts to other international organizations, the digital rights sector now faces unprecedented challenges. It is not yet clear whether other democratic nations have the ability – or the political will – to intervene and match the scale of American support.
In a statement, the GFCE said it “respects the decision of the US government.”
“The GFCE community remains fully committed to its shared mission of strengthening cyber capability through practical cooperation, knowledge sharing and multi-stakeholder engagement,” the group added.
TechRadar has contacted the Freedom Online Coalition for comment. We will update this page when they respond.
