The United States Organization for International Development (USAID) has become the most visible symbol of government waste and ideological party after exposing the vast amounts that Doge spent around the world promoting a variety of left-wing causes, including online censorship. What's less well known is the work of today's large tech companies, particularly agents with a good working experience with Microsoft.
2023, Microsoft has partnered with Internewsa global slash fund for journalists funded by USAID, creating Media Viability Accelerator (MVA). MVA attempted to combine Microsoft's technical resources with Internews' ideologically aligned global network of journalists, allowing newsrooms to access market insights, data aggregation, analysis and visualization from Microsoft to support their efforts.
Microsoft and USAID have also partnered on progressive causes of women's empowerment. A program called Women's Digital Inclusion Partnership Microsoft has partnered with USAID to increase internet coverage for women in the third world. The programme aims to increase internet connectivity for women in rural areas of Colombia, Ghana, Guatemala, India and Kenya.
It is unclear whether the USAID-supported program has been any more successful as the US government's domestic local internet program. Analysts said they were spending $42.5 billion. Connecting Zero Citizens.
There was another USAID-Microsoft partnership regarding internet connection AirBand Initiativeaims to expand internet access around the world. The partnership brought together a local coalition of government agencies, nonprofits and private companies to build digital infrastructure and provide “digital skills” training. The program aims to expand internet access to 250 million people by the end of 2025, including 100 million people in Africa.
Finally, in collaboration with Global Consultancy Resonance, the USAID-Microsoft Partnership has worked with local internet service providers in Africa to improve connectivity for local institutions. At least one local ISP, Ekovoltclaims the program was successful.
Not all of these initiatives feature political bias or ideological agendas, but they explain how the US government under the Biden administration relies on large corporations to increase its influence overseas.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News, which covers the issues of freedom of speech and online censorship.
