Right now, millions of people living under authoritarian regimes are being systematically silenced. State-sponsored censors are sophisticated, collaborative, and actively working to cut their citizens off from the open web.

While billions of dollars flow into humanitarian aid and education, the digital infrastructure required to deliver those services is under systemic attack. To counter this, we must stop funding siloed tools and start investing in shared infrastructure.

The Infrastructure Gap

Less than 1% of global giving reaches the "Freedom & Democracy" sector. This represents a massive mispricing of risk. Without an open, resilient internet, every other investment - from global health to human rights - is vulnerable to a single administrative order or a national firewall.

To effectively counter this threat, we cannot rely on siloed defenses. We need a coordinated and agile front.

Shared Infrastructure for Resistance

The Outline Foundation is building up the informational layer of freedom infrastructure, providing digital pathways that independent media, activists and citizens rely on to connect, share and access the truth.

Taking the baton from Jigsaw, we are committed to ensuring Outline remains a neutral, community-governed public good. Outline is already a vital lifeline operating at massive scale:

30 million monthly active users rely on our technology.
140,000+ self-managed servers are currently active globally.
We power the top internet freedom VPNs, including Psiphon, nthlink and Lantern.

The Vision: As Strong as the Strongest Link

Our vision is to move from isolated apps to a resilient, interoperable ecosystem. Through the Outline SDK, we have established a common technical language that allows for radical diversity. Innovators can focus on what they do best – whether that's new circumvention tech or user-facing apps – while ensuring that if one service is blocked, another seamlessly takes its place.

Outline is attempting to fulfill the original design criteria of the Internet by keeping the system as open as possible in the face of resistance to that goal. - Vint Cerf, Google Chief Internet Evangelist

Governed by Practitioners

Transitioning to a shared governance model ensures this infrastructure is protected by the people who build and use it. Our board includes industry leaders like Adam Fisk (Lantern), Martin Zhu (nthLink), and Vinicius Fortuna (Outline co-creator), guaranteeing our strategy is driven by frontline realities.

Leading this effort is President Shabnam Aslam, who brings over fifteen years of experience defending digital freedom and human rights in the world’s most challenging conflict zones.

Join the Alliance

The critical asymmetry of our time is that building democratic institutions takes decades, while blocking access to them takes seconds. Authoritarian regimes constantly update their censorship tactics, meaning our shared infrastructure requires continuous evolution and support.

Here is how you can help build a more resilient internet:

Become a Sustaining Funder: Start a monthly donation today. Your recurring support is the patient capital needed to outpace state-sponsored censors and secure the free web.
Developers: Contribute to our open-source codebase or provide compatible independent strategies.
Media & Content Platforms: Integrate the Outline SDK to ensure your content reaches every audience, regardless of censorship.

Note: Please be aware that donations for Outline will be processed by our fiscal sponsor, Brave New Software.

Defend Internet Freedom: Support Outline's Ecosystem