For nearly 20 years, the US quietly funded a global program to keep the internet free from authoritarian control. This program, called Internet Freedom, supported groups in places like Iran, China, and the Philippines. They built technologies to help people bypass government censorship. Over the past decade, the US spent more than $500 million on this effort, including $94 million in 2024. But now, most of these funds are gone. The Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency cut many parts of the program in 2025, stopping most grants. The Open Technology Fund (OTF), which helps manage half this money, won a court case to restore some funding, but the government is appealing. In January, the US also left the Freedom Online Coalition, a group defending digital rights. These cuts threaten tools that helped Iranians communicate during protests and allowed videos of human rights abuses to spread. They also affect tech helping people in Myanmar and China avoid internet controls. A former US official said, "The programme was effectively gutted. They didn’t issue any grants this year." A digital rights expert added, "It’s hard to deny it has been [a linchpin]." Tools funded include encrypted messaging like Signal and browsers like Tor that hide user identities. More advanced tech helps users jump through strong censorship, such as satellite datacasting. The goal was to keep the internet open and global. But with funds drying up, many groups have laid off staff or work without pay. Demand for censorship-busting tech is rising as global internet control tightens. Chinese companies also export high-tech devices that tighten censorship in countries across Africa and Asia. Some groups hope Europe may step in with funding in the future. One expert warned, "Cuts make it easier to build a 'digital iron curtain' like in Russia, China, and Iran." For now, the fight for open internet faces a tough battle without US support.