Thank you +++ DMA ++ SFP +++ Ada
Spring is here, and so is our monthly newsletter! We want to take
this opportunity to sincerely thank you for your continued support and
generous donations. In this issue, we bring you the latest updates on
the DMA, a special podcast episode on Router Freedom, highlights from
our talks at Chemnitzer Linux Tag, exciting Ada news, and much more.
Table of contents
Quote of the Month
“Free Software is core to the mission of the Internet Archive Europe.
We are thrilled to support the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) to
help this movement thrive.”
Brewster Kahle, Board Member Internet
Archive Europe
You are the backbone of our organization: thank you
for your support!
In summer last year, like many other charitable organisations, we
faced significant challenges as donations declined. This was especially true of those
FSFE supporters who regularly donate amounts smaller than those listed
on our donor website. These donations make up one third of our total funds. As an
independent organisation, we rely on all the FSFE supporters who are
financing our long-term work for software freedom, and we called for
your help.
Your response was incredible. After months of declining support, our
community of FSFE supporters stabilized, and even grew again. In March
this year we also received unexpected but deeply appreciated donations
from Proton and Stichting Internet Archive, which will help us to
sustain our mission.
Update of FSFE donors page
You will find the donors like Stichting Internet Archive, Proton, the
Linuxhotel, and others who donate more than 720€ per year on our donors
page. This year we changed the format of the page to increase
transparency and accountability: We adjusted the categories, we are
highlighting long-term consistent FSFE supporters, and we sort FSFE
supporters in the highest category by the amount of the donation instead
of alphabetically.
But the challenges have not disappeared. As we move forward, your
regular support remains as crucial as ever. Every financial
contribution, monthly or yearly, big or small, is crucial for our
work for software freedom. Together, we can continue to empower users to
control their technology.
So a heartfelt thank you to all of you!
DMA & Free Software: what Free Software
organisations need to know
On 24 March 2025, we held an online Q&A session about the
Digital Markets Act (DMA) and its impact on Free Software. The event
aimed to inform other Free Software organisations about FSFE’s work
on the DMA implementation and our litigation
efforts against Apple at the Court of Justice of the EU. Finally,
participants could ask questions and engage with FSFE’s experts on the
topic. It was very motivating to see so many other Free Software
organisations discussing this topic and its importance for software
freedom. Thanks to everyone who participated!
SFP#32: Policy and EU: Router Freedom in the EU
Have you ever used your personal router to connect to the internet?
Recently we achieved a major win in Germany for Router Freedom. In this
32nd episode of the Software Freedom Podcast, Bonnie Mehring, Alexander
Sander, and Lucas Lasota talk about Router Freedom and our work to protect
freedom of choice regarding internet devices.
Chemnitz Linux Days: 2025 edition
The Chemnitz Linux Days (CLT) is the largest Free Software
conference in Germany. It is a long-standing event for education about
Linux and Free Software. The event includes workshops, lectures and
beginners' talks in the central building of the Chemnitz University of
Technology.
The FSFE was present, one more time, at the CLT with an information
booth and several talks and presentations. It was a pleasure to see our
community there and have the chance to spend the weekend talking about
Free Software.
You can watch the
recordings from our talks (DE) about the Fediverse,
Freedom in Banking, and Openwashing in our Peertube instance.
Ada & Zangemann: Denmark Premiere in
Aarhus
Our local Danish group organised the Danish
premiere of the film “Ada & Zangemann - A Tale of Software,
Skateboards, and Raspberry Ice Cream” on 27 March, with a screening for
schools and a second screening for anyone interested. After the film,
Matthias Kirschner, the author of "Ada & Zangemann", discussed
with the participants the
message of the film in relation to topics such as the need for Free
Software in schools and its role in both the public and
private sectors.
FSFE symposium: Public Money? Public Code! in
practice
Free Software is indispensable for public authorities to overcome
dependencies and achieve technological sovereignty. Therefore, the need
of the hour is "Public Money? Public Code!" The Free Software Foundation
Europe's symposium in Essen on 08 April 2025 will open up practical
perspectives on how administrations can move forward in this direction.
Youth Hacking 4 Freedom: 2024 participant shares
her journey and tips for success!
The 2025 edition of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom (YH4F) is
underway. While this edition’s participants work on their own Free
Software projects, we sat down with Aya, a YH4F 2024 contestant. She
shared her inspiring journey from her first programming experience to
creating a project for YH4F. Learn more about her story,
and remember:
you can still take part in this year’s competition!
From our
Italian community
In recent weeks, our volunteer Giacomo Alessandroni organized
several Ada & Zangemann book readings in different schools in Italy.
The children enjoyed not only the readings but also tinkering in a
robotics laboratory.
In Verona, our volunteer Tommaso Marso gave a talk in a high school
about the history of the Internet and the Free Software movement, while
in Napoli Marta Andreoli, deputy coordinator of FSFE Italy, presented the
importance of Free Software in the education field and discussed its
future with education institutions.
Contribute to our Newsletter
We would love to hear from you. If you have any thoughts, pictures,
or news to share, please send them to us at newsletter@fsfe.org. You can
also support us, contribute to our
work, and join our
community. We would like to thank our community and all the
volunteers, supporters, and donors who make our work possible, with a
special mention to our translators who make it possible for you to read
this newsletter in your mother tongue.
Your editor,
Ana
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