US lawmakers push for VPN funding so Iranians can access internet

South China Morning PostEN 2 min read 100% complete by BloombergFebruary 16, 2026 at 01:20 PM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

US lawmakers and agencies are advocating for $10 million in funding for virtual private networks (VPNs) and anti-censorship technology in Iran, aiming to allow approximately a quarter of the Iranian population to access the internet freely amidst government restrictions and domestic unrest. The funding would go to the Open Technology Fund (OTF), which supports online censorship circumvention programs globally and has seen a surge in VPN demand in Iran. However, disagreements between the State Department, US Agency for Global Media, and other involved parties are delaying the funding process. The OTF warns that without immediate resources, they may be forced to cut off millions of VPN users in Iran as early as next week. The State Department has consistently funded OTF through the US Agency for Global Media since 2022, but the current process is facing obstacles.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Islamic Republic 50% US Agency for Global Media 50% Laura Cunningham ×260% State Department ×370% United States ×480% Open Technology Fund ×485% Iran ×490%

Keywords

internet censorship 90% vpn funding 80% iran 80% open technology fund 70% anticensorship technology 60% internet access 50% virtual private networks 50% us lawmakers 50%