Difference between revisions of "Small Media Foundation"
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| registration_id = 07628852 (company); not a registered charity | | registration_id = 07628852 (company); not a registered charity | ||
| headquarters = 27 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX, United Kingdom | | headquarters = 27 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX, United Kingdom | ||
| − | | leader_title = | + | | leader_title = Directors |
| − | | leader_name = [[ | + | | leader_name = [[Joanna Poplawska Radziszewska]] and [[Adrienne Marie Monique Van Heteren]] |
| website = [https://smallmedia.org.uk Small Media website] | | website = [https://smallmedia.org.uk Small Media website] | ||
}} | }} | ||
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== Staff and Leadership == | == Staff and Leadership == | ||
| − | + | ||
{| class="wikitable sortable" | {| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
|+ Staff and Leadership of Small Media Foundation | |+ Staff and Leadership of Small Media Foundation | ||
! Name !! Role !! Notes | ! Name !! Role !! Notes | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | [[ | + | | [[Joanna Poplawska Radziszewska]] || Director || Active since 26 September 2022; Polish national residing in Poland |
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Adrienne Marie Monique Van Heteren]] || Director || Active since 11 August 2017; Dutch national residing in United Kingdom | ||
|} | |} | ||
| − | No additional full-time staff members are publicly listed on the website | + | No additional full-time staff members are publicly listed on the website. The organisation appears to operate with a small core team supplemented by project-based contractors and collaborators. |
| + | |||
== Directors == | == Directors == | ||
| − | + | ||
| + | {| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
|+ Directors of Small Media Foundation (Company No. 07628852) | |+ Directors of Small Media Foundation (Company No. 07628852) | ||
| − | ! Name !! Appointed !! Resigned !! Notes | + | ! Name !! Date of Birth !! Appointed !! Resigned !! Nationality !! Residence !! Notes |
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Joanna Poplawska Radziszewska]] || February 1981 || 26 September 2022 || Active || Polish || Poland || Current director | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Adrienne Marie Monique Van Heteren]] || January 1960 || 11 August 2017 || Active || Dutch || United Kingdom || Current director | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Seyed Mahmood Reza Enayat]] || September 1982 || 10 May 2011 || 23 August 2018 || British || England || Founding director; resigned | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | [[ | + | | [[Ali Hamedani]] (Dr) || May 1985 || 3 September 2020 || 7 April 2021 || British || United Kingdom || Resigned director |
|} | |} | ||
| − | + | ||
== Advisors and Board == | == Advisors and Board == | ||
| − | No formal board of trustees, advisory board, or external advisors is publicly listed on the website or in company filings. Small Media appears to operate without a separate governing board beyond its | + | No formal board of trustees, advisory board, or external advisors is publicly listed on the website or in company filings. Small Media appears to operate without a separate governing board beyond its directors. |
== Funding and Support == | == Funding and Support == | ||
| − | + | ||
| + | {| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
|+ Known funding sources of Small Media Foundation | |+ Known funding sources of Small Media Foundation | ||
! Funder !! Period !! Type / Amount (where known) !! Notes | ! Funder !! Period !! Type / Amount (where known) !! Notes | ||
| Line 58: | Line 69: | ||
|} | |} | ||
Small Media does not publish a comprehensive list of funders on its website. The [[Open Technology Fund]] (OTF), financed by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), is the most consistently reported and significant donor, supporting the development and maintenance of censorship circumvention tools for 'Iran' and other high-censorship environments.<ref name="OTFGrants" /> | Small Media does not publish a comprehensive list of funders on its website. The [[Open Technology Fund]] (OTF), financed by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), is the most consistently reported and significant donor, supporting the development and maintenance of censorship circumvention tools for 'Iran' and other high-censorship environments.<ref name="OTFGrants" /> | ||
| + | |||
== Potential links with intelligence agencies == | == Potential links with intelligence agencies == | ||
Small Media's primary and sustained funding from the [[Open Technology Fund]] (OTF) places it within the US government's internet freedom ecosystem. OTF is financed by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent federal agency that also oversees broadcasters such as [[Voice of America]] and [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]], historically linked to US intelligence operations during the Cold War.<ref name="ViceOTF">VICE, [https://www.vice.com/en/article/inside-the-plot-to-kill-the-open-technology-fund Inside the Plot to Kill the Open Technology Fund] ''VICE'', 2 July 2020.</ref> | Small Media's primary and sustained funding from the [[Open Technology Fund]] (OTF) places it within the US government's internet freedom ecosystem. OTF is financed by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent federal agency that also oversees broadcasters such as [[Voice of America]] and [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]], historically linked to US intelligence operations during the Cold War.<ref name="ViceOTF">VICE, [https://www.vice.com/en/article/inside-the-plot-to-kill-the-open-technology-fund Inside the Plot to Kill the Open Technology Fund] ''VICE'', 2 July 2020.</ref> | ||
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[https://smallmedia.org.uk Official website] | [https://smallmedia.org.uk Official website] | ||
[https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07628852 Companies House entry] | [https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07628852 Companies House entry] | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
[[Category:British non-profit organisations]] | [[Category:British non-profit organisations]] | ||
Latest revision as of 23:41, 13 February 2026
London-based digital rights NGO specialising in anti-censorship tools and research in repressive environments
| Small Media Foundation | |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-profit organisation |
| Logo | |
| Founded | |
| Founder(s) | |
| Dissolved | |
| Registration ID | 07628852 (company); not a registered charity |
| Status | |
| Headquarters | 27 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX, United Kingdom |
| Location | |
| Area served | |
| Services | |
| Registration | |
| Key people | |
| Website | Small Media website |
| Remarks | |
Small Media Foundation (commonly known as Small Media) is a London-based non-profit organisation incorporated on 10 May 2011 that specialises in digital rights, anti-censorship technologies, research, and capacity-building for civil society in politically repressive environments. The organisation focuses primarily on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and Sub-Saharan Africa, developing tools, conducting research, and providing training to support freedom of expression, access to information, and secure digital practices for human rights defenders and at-risk communities.[1] As its website states, Small Media "works to support the free flow of information in politically closed societies" through research, advocacy, and training activities.[1]
Small Media is best known for creating and maintaining censorship circumvention and secure communication tools tailored for users in high-censorship countries such as the Islamic Republic of 'Iran', and for producing detailed reports on internet censorship, digital surveillance, and government filtering policies. The organisation's heavy reliance on funding from the Open Technology Fund (OTF), financed by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), places it within the orbit of US government-supported internet freedom initiatives.[2] Critics argue this funding structure aligns Small Media with US foreign policy objectives in regions like 'Iran', raising questions about independence and potential indirect links to US intelligence interests through the broader ecosystem of OTF-supported circumvention tools.[3]
History
Small Media was incorporated as a private company limited by guarantee on 10 May 2011 (company number 07628852). It emerged during a period of heightened global concern over internet censorship following the Arab Spring uprisings and increasing digital repression in 'Iran' and other authoritarian states. The organisation initially focused on developing Persian-language tools for bypassing censorship and secure communication, later expanding into broader digital rights research and capacity-building.[4]
Activities
Small Media engages in three core areas:
- Research — analysing government censorship policies, digital surveillance, and internet shutdowns, with a focus on 'Iran' and the MENA region
- Tool development — creating and maintaining open-source censorship circumvention and privacy tools (e.g., Psiphon configurations, secure messaging guides, anti-filtering software)
- Advocacy and training — supporting civil society and human rights defenders through workshops, digital security training, and engagement with international human rights mechanisms
The organisation has produced influential reports on internet filtering in 'Iran', digital rights under authoritarian regimes, and the use of circumvention tools by activists.[5]
Staff and Leadership
| Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Joanna Poplawska Radziszewska | Director | Active since 26 September 2022; Polish national residing in Poland |
| Adrienne Marie Monique Van Heteren | Director | Active since 11 August 2017; Dutch national residing in United Kingdom |
No additional full-time staff members are publicly listed on the website. The organisation appears to operate with a small core team supplemented by project-based contractors and collaborators.
Directors
| Name | Date of Birth | Appointed | Resigned | Nationality | Residence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joanna Poplawska Radziszewska | February 1981 | 26 September 2022 | Active | Polish | Poland | Current director |
| Adrienne Marie Monique Van Heteren | January 1960 | 11 August 2017 | Active | Dutch | United Kingdom | Current director |
| Seyed Mahmood Reza Enayat | September 1982 | 10 May 2011 | 23 August 2018 | British | England | Founding director; resigned |
| Ali Hamedani (Dr) | May 1985 | 3 September 2020 | 7 April 2021 | British | United Kingdom | Resigned director |
Advisors and Board
No formal board of trustees, advisory board, or external advisors is publicly listed on the website or in company filings. Small Media appears to operate without a separate governing board beyond its directors.
Funding and Support
| Funder | Period | Type / Amount (where known) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Technology Fund (OTF) | 2014–present | Multiple grants (total several hundred thousand USD) | Primary funder; US government-funded programme for censorship circumvention tools; supports tools for 'Iran' and other high-censorship countries[2] |
| Various unnamed private foundations | Ongoing | Project grants | Acknowledged in reports but not itemised |
Small Media does not publish a comprehensive list of funders on its website. The Open Technology Fund (OTF), financed by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), is the most consistently reported and significant donor, supporting the development and maintenance of censorship circumvention tools for 'Iran' and other high-censorship environments.[2]
Potential links with intelligence agencies
Small Media's primary and sustained funding from the Open Technology Fund (OTF) places it within the US government's internet freedom ecosystem. OTF is financed by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent federal agency that also oversees broadcasters such as Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, historically linked to US intelligence operations during the Cold War.[3] While OTF operates as a grant-making entity for open-source circumvention technologies and there is no public evidence of direct CIA control or operational involvement in Small Media's work, the funding chain (US Congress → USAGM → OTF → Small Media) has led critics to question whether such organisations indirectly serve US foreign policy and intelligence-gathering objectives in target countries like 'Iran'. Tools developed with OTF support are used by activists and dissidents, but their deployment can generate metadata and usage patterns potentially valuable to US intelligence agencies monitoring adversarial regimes.[6] No leaked documents or credible investigations have established direct CIA operational links to Small Media or its staff. The organisation's work aligns with broader US internet freedom policy, which some analysts describe as a soft-power extension of intelligence and diplomatic efforts against authoritarian governments.[7]
See also
Mahmood Enayat Open Technology Fund Institute for Strategic Dialogue
External links
Official website Companies House entry
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Small Media Foundation, About Small Media Small Media, accessed 13 February 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Open Technology Fund, Small Media Foundation grants Open Technology Fund, accessed 13 February 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 VICE, Inside the Plot to Kill the Open Technology Fund VICE, 2 July 2020.
- ↑ Companies House, SMALL MEDIA FOUNDATION overview Companies House, accessed 13 February 2026.
- ↑ Small Media Foundation, Research Small Media, accessed 13 February 2026.
- ↑ Atlantic Council, Iranian Digital Influence Efforts Atlantic Council, accessed 13 February 2026.
- ↑ The Guardian, Trump cuts aid for pro-democracy groups in Belarus, Hong Kong and Iran The Guardian, 24 September 2020.