The Trump administration has initiated the withdrawal of the United States from several international organizations dedicated to enhancing cybersecurity.
This move is part of a larger disengagement from 66 international bodies. Specific organizations being exited include the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise, the Online Freedom Coalition, and the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats.
This decision aligns with a presidential stance that has shown skepticism towards the established international order. Critics express concern that such an approach could lead to a leadership void, potentially exploited by U.S. adversaries.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in a statement that the Trump Administration deemed these institutions “redundant in their scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run, captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas contrary to our own, or a threat to our nation’s sovereignty, freedoms, and general prosperity.” The statement emphasized that sending American resources to these institutions without tangible returns was no longer acceptable, signaling an end to taxpayer money benefiting foreign interests at the expense of the American populace.
Rubio also expressed criticism regarding the international organizations’ “DEI mandates,” “‘gender equity’ campaigns,” and actions perceived as limiting American sovereignty.
The Global Forum on Cyber Expertise addresses topics including critical infrastructure protection, cybercrime, cyber skills development, policy, and emerging technologies. Its membership comprises various nations, governmental bodies such as Interpol, and technology firms like Hewlett Packard, Mastercard, and Palo Alto Networks.
The forum advocates for gender inclusivity, asserting its belief that “gender is a cross cutting issue with direct relevance to achieving international peace and security.”
Chris Painter, a former president of the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise Foundation and previous top cyber diplomat at the State Department, expressed surprise at the withdrawal.
Painter described the forum as a “non-political capacity-building platform” that the U.S. helped establish, noting its beneficial work in regions like the Western Balkans and Asian Pacific, which he believes serves U.S. interests.
Ron Deibert, a political science professor and director of the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab, commented that exiting the forum, coupled with reductions at the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, would “further erode network security coordination at a time when the magnitude of cyber threats are rapidly increasing.”
Nina Jankowicz, who previously served as a disinformation official in the Biden administration and now leads the American Sunlight Project, a nonprofit combating disinformation, highlighted the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Freedom Online Coalition. This coalition aims to support “free expression, association, assembly, and privacy online,” a point Jankowicz noted given the administration’s stated commitment to free speech.
The coalition has actively opposed cybersecurity laws that infringe upon human rights and cyberattacks that jeopardize individual safety.
The European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats focuses on safeguarding its members, including those from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, against various threats, particularly those emerging in cyberspace.
Additionally, the Trump administration withdrew from other organizations with a more indirect connection to cybersecurity, such as the International Law Commission.
Deibert argued that despite any imperfections in the organizations from which the Trump administration withdrew, they contribute to the “international rules-based order.”
He further stated that “Without state participation, especially the powerful rich states, these forums will grind to a halt.” Deibert suggested that even symbolically, the absence of a government like the U.S. limits global progress, potentially fostering increased regionalization and opportunities for corruption and authoritarian practices.
Alexandra Givens, president of the Center for Democracy and Technology, asserted that the U.S. decision would “inevitably weaken the rights and security of Americans and people around the world for years to come.”
Givens expressed concern that the government is abandoning established efforts to promote democracy, protect online human rights, and combat spyware abuses, especially as free expression faces global threats. She concluded that “U.S. participation in international collaboration on human rights standards helps keep Americans safe.”
