Applications for the Information Controls Fellowship Program are being accepted by the Open Technology Fund in order to foster research, outputs, and innovative cooperation on subjects pertaining to oppressive internet restriction and surveillance.

The ICFP backs studies into how governments in various countries or regions, particularly those aligned with OTF's focus, are limiting the free exchange of information, restricting internet access, and imposing censorship practices. These actions threaten the ability of individuals worldwide to freely exercise their human rights and participate in democratic processes. The initiative also supports efforts to counter these risks.

Key Areas of Focus

• Creating and improving tools and strategies to monitor global internet interference in real-time.
• Investigating how information is controlled, secured, and protected in popular platforms like search engines, social media, and messaging apps.
• Leveraging open-source data to understand what forms of information control are being implemented and their intended targets.
• Experimenting with new methods and technologies to bypass censorship, while analyzing various forms of internet filtering and network disruptions.
• Evaluating the effects of internet censorship and the use of tools to circumvent it.
• Developing experimental strategies to limit government influence on online conversations and narratives.
• Examining emerging trends in state-sponsored surveillance and the digital threats posed to civil society organizations and human rights defenders, such as denial of service, social engineering, and malware phishing attacks.
• Investigating the role of AI and machine learning in state-driven surveillance within oppressive environments.
• Analyzing how advancements in quantum computing may impact internet freedom and how this technology might be used to avoid censorship.
• Exploring other creative and novel approaches to understanding and studying global and regional information control mechanisms.

Interested individuals should apply by the deadline of 28 February 2025.