Open Technology Fund Sues US Agency Over Funding Halt
This blog post was automatically generated (and translated). It is based on the following original, which I selected for publication on this blog:
US-Behörde stoppt Gelder für Let’s Encrypt und Tor ‒ Open Tech Fund wehrt sich | heise online
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Open Technology Fund Sues US Agency Over Funding Halt
The Open Technology Fund (OTF) has filed a lawsuit against the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and the Office of Management and Budget in the US District Court in Washington D.C. The OTF is seeking a preliminary injunction to compel the USAGM to release previously committed funding. This action follows measures taken by the US government to significantly restrict the USAGM's operations.
Crucially, the OTF provides financial support to projects like Let's Encrypt, a widely used certificate authority, and the Tor anonymity network.
Funding Dispute Jeopardizes Open Source Support
The OTF argues that the USAGM's termination of the grant is unlawful because Congress had already approved the funding. This approval included a total of $43.5 million allocated for 2025, representing 98 percent of the OTF's total funding. The USAGM oversees the OTF's financial and programmatic activities, including the disbursement of funds. The OTF requested approximately $650,000 for operational costs in March but did not receive it.
One could ask the question whether this decision endangers the OTF’s ability to support critical open-source infrastructure. The OTF's support extends to roughly 50 projects, including the open-source VPN client OpenVPN. The organization reports contributing around 2,500 patches to open-source software and enabling VPN access for about 45 million people in countries with censorship.
The acting CEO of the USAGM has described the agency as a “huge source of waste and a burden to the US taxpayer”. However, OTF's chairman maintains that his organization is an efficient and effective tool against censorship and undue influence. The cessation of OTF projects “would weaken America’s national security and keep millions of people worldwide trapped behind authoritarian information firewalls.”
The Broader Implications
This situation raises a fundamental question: What is the role of government funding in supporting open-source initiatives? The OTF provided significant funding to Let's Encrypt (approximately $800,000 last year), the Tor network (nearly $500,000), and the F-Droid open-source Android app store ($396,000).
The lawsuit, according to the OTF President, represents the only viable path to ensure the continued existence of these vital projects. The development shows the importance of funding for such projects.