Decades-long victory, bold Apple survey findings, legal workshop success & our 50th podcast episode
April brought LLW, where we gathered with Legal Network members to
discuss a wide range of legal and licensing topics. One of them was the
DMA, legislation that is keeping us busy: we are exposing how Apple
keeps blocking third-party developers, denying their interoperability
requests. On a brighter note, over ten years of advocacy paid off: the
EC is protecting users' right to install any software on radio devices.
And we reached episode 50 in our SFP!
"I spent all of my training budget this year on coming to LLW, but just
the networking itself has already paid off!" LLW 2026 participant
European policy news: RED and DMA interoperability
We are starting this new month with great news: after more than ten
years of persistent advocacy, we have a significant win to celebrate.
The European Commission has decided to protect users' right to install
any software on their radio devices, abandoning
the article in the Radio Equipment Directive that threatened to
undermine this freedom. This decision shows that persistent,
evidence-based engagement with EU policy processes can achieve, and
protect, software freedom. But this is also only possible when we have
the long-term resources and stability to stay in the room, follow the
process, and act at the right moment. That is exactly why we need your continued
support.
Meanwhile, we have monitored how Apple is
implementing its interoperability obligations under the DMA. Our
recently released report “The
challenges of regulating interoperability: Analysing Apple’s
request-based approach under the Digital Markets Act” sheds light on
how Apple has handled those requests in practice. Our analysis shows how
56 interoperability requests under the Digital Markets Act have produced
no concrete solutions by Apple, and how their refusals contradict their
own official documentation, leaving third-party developers locked out of
iOS and iPadOS, despite the European Commission’s latest specification
decision.
Following our publication, we published a summary
of the report in the Tagesspiegel Background (DE). In
the contribution, we explain how interoperability can be a powerful tool
to break tech monopolies in the mobile market, and how its enforcement
in the DMA is needed to empower Free Software developers.
Software Freedom Podcast: episode 50 about NGI
And more European news! Did you know that the FSFE is a partner of
the European initiative Next Generation Internet Zero? Under this
umbrella, the FSFE supports NGI0 grantee projects on legal and licensing
issues, as well as helping them to become REUSE compliant. Although this
project is ending next year, we are also happy to announce the new
initiative that will follow in its steps: the EU project Restack. Listen to
the latest
episode of our podcast in which Bonnie and Gabriel discuss NGI0,
introduce Restack, and explain why we need sustainable long term funding
for fostering the Free Software ecosystem. If you know a Free Software
project, or you have an idea that can contribute to an open, resilient,
trustworthy, sustainable, and human-centered internet, you can apply for
NGI0 funding:https://nlnet.nl/funding.html.
By the way, this is episode 50 of our podcast! We want to take a
moment to thank every single one of you on the other side, listening to
the Software Freedom Podcast. Fifty episodes in, and it is your
curiosity, your support, and your commitment to software freedom that
keep this going. We are truly grateful to our community and our
listeners! And if you are a newcomer, you can find all our episodes
here.
From the stages: LLW and more!
But that is not all that has happened in the last weeks! A few weeks
ago the
Free Software Legal & Licensing Workshop 2026 took place in
Berlin, bringing together over 100 legal and compliance
professionals, technologists, and policy experts from all over the
globe. The LLW, organised by the FSFE, continued to explore the evolving
legal landscapes impacting Free Software, with many discussions focusing
on how software licensing is impacted by the advent of large language
models and AI. Ths event was, once again, possible thanks to our 2026
sponsors: our Diamond sponsors Mercedes and Red Hat; the Sapphire
sponsors Amazon (AWS), Microsoft, and Siemens; Topaz sponsors Bosch,
Ericsson, and Google; and our Ruby sponsors Bird & Bird, Eclipse
Foundation, and Liferay.
Not only at LLW did we learn about legal topics. Check out our Mastodon handle, where we
regularly post poll questions on legal topics. They can come in handy in
unexpected places: thanks to one of those polls, this editor actually
knew an answer at the Pub Quiz during OggCamp 2026!
Speaking of which, these past weeks have been busy on the events
front. After seven years, we were thrilled to return to OggCamp, where
we ran an information booth and gave presentations. We also attended
FOSS North, and last weekend joined the Augsburger Linux Info Day, where
we delivered a keynote and a workshop.
In the coming weeks, our volunteers will be at the Festival de Tecnologia Popular de Setúbal, the Tübingen
Digital Freedom Days, and more! Check events.fsfe.org.
From the Ada workshop
The illustrated story of ‘Ada &
Zangemann’ continues reaching kids (and adults) worldwide. Recently,
the Austrian Ministry of Education released an online course about
‘Ada & Zangemann’ with really cool exercises (and for students of
German it can also be a great way to practice their German skills with
Ada).
Your support helps us move our work forward
We may be behind the wheel, but you’re the ones keeping us moving
forward. You can also support us, contribute to our work, and join our community. Are you using social
media? If so, do not forget to follow us there! You can also follow the
FSFE news in your RSS Reader.
Your editor,
Ana
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