In a move that has sent shockwaves through the global digital rights community, the United States (U.S.) has formally withdrawn from the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC), marking a significant retreat from a multilateral body of dozens of countries around the world that it helped found nearly 15 years ago.
The FOC announced in a statement dated February 12, 2026, that it had been formally notified by the US of its withdrawal. The notification was made in a letter addressed to Switzerland, the FOC Chair for 2026, on February 10, 2026, in accordance with the membership withdrawal process outlined in the FOC Terms of Reference.
The Terms of Reference provide that “Any Member or Observer may withdraw from the FOC at any time by submitting a letter to the Chair and Support Unit (secretariat) indicating as much.”
The formal withdrawal followed a presidential memorandum signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on January 7, 2026, in which he ordered U.S. agencies to cease participation in and funding for 66 international organisations, including the FOC, as part of a sweeping “America First” review of foreign engagements which the Trump Administration deemed “contrary to U.S. interests.”
The FOC said in its statement that although it regrets the withdrawal, the Coalition remained open to re-engagement with the United States in the future.
The coalition stressed that “The FOC is committed to its mandate of advancing human rights online through international cooperation and multistakeholder engagement, and will continue its work with its Members, Observers, and partners.”
Founded in 2011, the FOC began with 15 members and grew to 42 countries, which signified their dedication to promoting a free and open internet.
The U.S. had long been its most influential member, providing a large portion of the technical and financial backing for initiatives aimed at countering internet shutdowns, protecting digital activists, and advancing Internet freedom around the world.
The U.S. Department of State, led by Secretary Marco Rubio, justified the move by labelling the coalition “redundant” and “ineffective.” In a fact sheet released by the White House, the Trump Administration argued that taxpayer dollars were being wasted on “globalist agendas” that did not yield tangible results for American sovereignty or security.
However, days before the U.S. issued its formal notification to the Coalition, the FOC, under the 2026 Swiss Chairship, issued a major joint statement condemning internet shutdowns in Iran. But the United States, which in the past was usually one of the first countries to sign on to such declarations, was notably absent from the list of signatories.
Digital rights advocates around the world have expressed concern that the U.S. exit from the coalition will likely embolden authoritarian regimes that are routinely stifling human rights and fundamental freedoms, both online and offline.
Media Rights Agenda (MRA), a member of the 30-member multi-stakeholder advisory organ of the FOC, the Advisory Network, expressed “profound disappointment” over the U.S. withdrawal, saying that as an organisation that has spent decades documenting attacks against journalists, digital activists, and other civil society actors in Nigeria, both online and offline, it viewed the U.S retreat from multilateral digital diplomacy as a dangerous signal to authoritarian regimes worldwide.
MRA’s Executive Director, Mr Edetaen Ojo, who represents the organisation on the FOC Advisory Network, said: “The timing of this withdrawal could not be worse. Our 2025 Annual Report documented 86 targeted attacks on freedom of expression in Nigeria alone, many of which involved the ‘weaponisation’ of digital laws to silence critics. When a leading global power like the U.S. walks away from the primary international body dedicated to internet freedom, it effectively tells repressive governments that the world is no longer watching. This move does not just reflect an ‘America First’ policy; it creates a ‘Perpetrators First’ environment where the safety of digital voices is sacrificed on the altar of isolationism.”
He noted that the FOC has been a critical and influential platform for coordinated international responses to internet shutdowns, Government use of surveillance technologies, and the harassment of journalists and other civic actors, while also providing clarity and guidance on important issues such as Digital Inclusion, Digital Public Infrastructure, Responsible Government Practices on Artificial Intelligence, Multistakeholderism in Internet Governance, Technical Standards and Human Rights in the Context of Digital Technologies, Information Integrity Online and Elections, Donor Principles for Human Rights in the Digital Age; the Human Rights Impact of Cybersecurity Laws, Defending Civic Space Online, Restrictive Data Localisation Laws, the Use and Export of Surveillance Technology, and Restrictions on Access to Social Media, among others.
While expressing concern that the absence of U.S. diplomatic weight and technical support in the work of the FOC could create a significant vacuum that may be filled by state actors seeking a closed, restricted, and state-controlled internet model, Mr Ojo said he had no doubt that the coalition would continue to thrive and make important contributions to advancing Internet freedom around the world.
He said: “Despite this setback, MRA reaffirms its support for the FOC, the 2026 Swiss Chairship, and the remaining 41 member Governments of the Coalition. We call on these countries to redouble their efforts by demonstrating exemplary conduct, holding violators of online freedoms accountable, and ensuring that the impunity we see in many domestic jurisdictions does not become the new global standard for the digital age.
Mr Ojo stressed that MRA would continue to use every available international human rights mechanism to protect the rights of journalists and citizens to speak, report, and connect without fear of reprisal.
