Open Technology Fund

Applications to our Internet Freedom Fund are open and accepted on a rolling basis! Organizations or individuals are encouraged to submit a concept note -- the first step in a two-step process -- for innovative global internet freedom projects that counter censorship or surveillance that are focused on technology development, applied research, digital security, or events and community convenings. The @Open Technology Fund team evaluates applications based on: 1. Does the proposal fit within our remit? 2. Does the proposal solve an existing problem or pre-empt a rising problem? What is the real-world applicability? 3. Is it cost effective? 4. Will the project endure beyond the life of OTF's support? 5. Is the proposed project complementary to existing efforts? Learn more and apply. https://lnkd.in/dtBDmTs

Superbloom is committed to changing who technology serves and Open Technology Fund is excited to continue working with them via our revamped User Experience & Discovery (UXD) Lab! Formerly the “Secure Usability & Accessibility Lab”, the revamped Lab will continue to offer usability and accessibility audits, design support, and longer-term coaching to support projects with their usability and accessibility design. ✨ What’s New: User-centered research and discovery services so you can better understand your users, and what they need from internet freedom tools. Through the Lab, Superbloom helps internet freedom projects design usable & accessible tools. Learn more about them and the UXD Lab: https://lnkd.in/eFrefHDV

What’s new at Open Technology Fund? Our President Laura Cunningham testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy at a hearing on “Cyberspace Under Threat in the Era of Rising Authoritarianism and Global Competition.” In her statement, Laura explained that the core challenge the United States must confront is a new authoritarian model that information control technologies have enabled, and not merely the technologies themselves. Plus: - Some of our latest projects mitigate against internet shutdowns (dComms), and improve the usability and accessibility of previously supported digital forensic analysis tools that help people identify and address digital attacks and threats (PiRogue Tool Suite). - OTF’s Surge and Sustain Fund is accepting new applications to support user costs of established, open source VPNs and anti-censorship tools with track records of operating at-scale in repressive information environments. Apply by October 30. Sign up for our monthly newsletter to find out what’s new at OTF, and learn about program highlights and funding opportunities! https://lnkd.in/emHwSPJE

Open source VPNs and anti-censorship tool providers: There's still time to apply for Open Technology Fund's Surge and Sustain Fund! If you have a track record of operating at-scale in repressive information environments like China, Iran, and Russia, this Fund can help provide the resources you need to sustain current users and respond to growing demand for your tools. The funding supports user-carrying costs of secure, open-source anti-censorship tools to ensure that people living in repressive environments have access to these critical technologies. Learn more and apply by October 30: https://ow.ly/mX3y50TqjkK

Anti-censorship technologies have become a prerequisite for billions of people worldwide to access the free and open internet. In the last two years, demand for these tools has increased by more than 500%. Open Technology Fund established the Surge and Sustain Fund to support growing global demand – for over 45 million people each month – for secure, trustworthy circumvention tools. We’re grateful for Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC)’s support for this critical funding mechanism. https://ow.ly/Yh4x50TyTYt

Open Technology Fund is thrilled to partner with Kumquat Co on our new User Experience & Discovery (UXD) Lab—formerly the “Secure Usability and Accessibility Lab.” This women-led, African design consultancy will help internet freedom projects design usable and accessible tools. Learn more about them and the UXD Lab: https://ow.ly/yY5c50TkhOp

“Once considered politically extreme and technically implausible, digital authoritarianism has now been adopted worldwide as more and more governments are substituting repressive technical shortcuts for the hard work of good governance in a bid to control their populations in ways that were previously unimaginable. Today, there is no longer a meaningful distinction between digital authoritarianism and authoritarianism of any other kind as online information control has become foundational to a newly possible form of illiberal governance. This is the greatest danger to democracy of our time, with profound implications for our democratic principles, national security, and global economic competitiveness.” Open Technology Fund’s President Laura Cunningham testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy at a hearing on “Cyberspace Under Threat in the Era of Rising Authoritarianism and Global Competition.” She further explained that to counter its spread effectively, we must raise the costs of digital authoritarianism while offering a positive, democratic vision in exchange. Given a choice, many countries will opt for free, human rights-respecting digital governance approaches – if they are shown that this is possible. But we need to lead the way. If we don’t, China and Russia certainly will. Read her full testimony ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/d5KaBi2S

Open source VPN and anti-censorship tool providers with a track record of operating at-scale in repressive environments: are you in need of funding to support user-carrying costs? Open Technology Fund's Surge and Sustain Fund is now accepting applications! We established this Fund to provide leading anti-censorship tools with the resources they need to sustain their current users and respond to growing demand for their tools in China, Iran, Russia, and other closed information spaces. The funding supports user-carrying costs so that people living in repressive information environments have access to these critical anti-censorship technologies. Learn more and apply by October 30: https://ow.ly/hsVC50TqjcQ

⏰ Starting soon: Open Technology Fund’s Laura Cunningham will testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy at a hearing on “Cyberspace Under Threat in the Era of Rising Authoritarianism and Global Competition.” Watch September 24 @ 10 am ET https://lnkd.in/gsQqeC_m

TOMORROW: Open Technology Fund’s President Laura Cunningham, will testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy at a hearing on “Cyberspace Under Threat in the Era of Rising Authoritarianism and Global Competition.” She will describe how we can ensure the global digital ecosystem reinforces our democratic principles. Watch September 24 @ 10 am ET https://lnkd.in/gsQqeC_m