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Let’s advocate together for Free Software in the European Elections

20. März 2024 um 23:00

Let’s advocate together for Free Software in the European Elections

European citizens will hit the ballot boxes from 6 to 9 June 2024 to choose their next representatives in the European Parliament. As the campaign heats up, it is important to get active and ensure Software Freedom is part of the larger political debate. How can you do this? Find practical advice on how to advocate for Free Software in the coming months!

Every five years, European citizens elect their representatives to the European Parliament, the EU's sole directly elected institution. These representatives shape new EU legislation and how taxpayers' money is spent. The electoral campaign has started and candidates across Europe are organising and taking part in different events to listen to citizens’ demands. Electoral programs are often written during these events, together with your input. Get active and ask your candidates their stance on Free Software (also known as Open Source).

Get to know your candidates and their events

Identifying your local EU candidates is the first step to starting the debate. You can search political parties’ and institutional websites to find the candidates running for election in your area. If elected, they are the ones who represent you based on your area of residence and have more direct contact with their constituents. In the run-up to the elections, round-table discussions, election booths and debates with candidates will be held. To find those, do not forget to check the candidates’ social network accounts, too.

Additionally, seek recommendations from local Free Software advocacy groups or communities, as they might take part in or organise meetings related to the European elections.

Talk to your candidates

Once you found a way to talk to your candidates, you can kick off the conversation starting with the basics. If you cannot find any event around your area, you can directly ask for a meeting with the candidates, or you can propose local groups and communities to organise one! Ask candidates if they know what Free Software is and tell them why it is important for a democratic society. If you cannot go to an event or meet the candidate in person, you can also write an email to your local candidate and ask their position on Free Software.

Free Software is an important topic when it comes to public administrations. You can use the following arguments to explain why:

  • Free Software, thanks to the four freedoms, allows public administrations to take control of their digital infrastructure. Using Free Software in public administrations is a prerequisite for becoming digitally sovereign and crucial for a resilient digital society, especially in times of crisis.
  • Free Software licenses help public administrations to escape dependency and vendor lock-in, which at a high cost hinders competition and innovation.
  • Free Software ensures that the source code is accessible so that security holes can be fixed without depending on one service provider.

Mention the FSFE’s “Public Money? Public Code!” initiative and ask the candidates a position on the topic. Make their answers public to help other people in the EU understand the candidates’ positions on Free Software.

You can also find informative material on Free Software, “Public Money? Public Code!” and other relevant topics on our website. All the material can be printed or requested for free through our request form. This material can be useful to get a basic and simple understanding of Free Software and can be easily shared. Make use of it!

Find more advice, a mail template and a toot template in this new page on how to get active during electoral campaigns!

Be active on social media

Do you want to use social media platforms to amplify your message and engage a wider audience? Share informative content about Free Software, emphasise the importance of open standards, and advocate for policies prioritising digital freedoms. Use hashtags like #publiccode to join discussions and encourage others to do the same, pointing out Free Software's significance for shaping our democratic society in the digital age.

Moreover, you can use our share-pic generator and share why you support our “Public Money? Public Code!” campaign. Post your share-pic on social media and encourage others to do the same.

You can also follow us on social media and contribute to spreading the word during these crucial months that will shape Europe for the next years.

Help us continue our work

Our team and volunteers are working daily with decision-makers, advocating for Free Software on all levels. Your support enables us to continue our work, protecting our community and engaging with legislators to shape policies that uphold Free Software principles. Please consider becoming an FSFE supporter and making a donation. Thank you!

Become a supporter!

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Looking back: Software freedom discussion @FOSDEM

17. März 2024 um 23:00

Looking back: Software freedom discussion @FOSDEM

Once again we co-organised our now well-known Legal & Policy Issues Devroom during FOSDEM 2024. The discussions in this track covered important issues for Software Freedom, such as CRA, RHEL, GPL termination, where discussed. Thanks to everyone who participated in it!

The Legal and Policy Issues Devroom took place on the first day of FOSDEM in one of the main rooms, which was packed throughout the track. In fact, this was the 12th edition and FSFE’s fourth year of co-organising in this devroom.

Together with our co-hosts this devroom once again focused on current political and legal challenges we face in the world of software freedom. These included discussions on recent licencing practices around RHEL and CentOS, questions on how to deal with with trademark issues, GPL termination under German law, discussion around GPLv3/AGPLv3 Section 7 and the new Swiss law on the procurement of Free Software.

id you miss the talks or do you want to watch them again? We have complied all the talks from this devroom in this video

As always the dev room ended with a discussion that brought all the organisers on stage: Karen Sandler and Bradley Kuhn from the Software Freedom Conservancy, Tom Marble, and Alexander Sander and Matthias Kirschner from FSFE talked about the most important issues for software freedom, touching on the Liability discussion in Europe around the Cyber Resilience Act, Product Liability Directive but also the AI Act, as well as discussing current cases and campaigns.

“Once again, we were able to bring exciting and pressing issues related to the law and politics of software freedom to the stage and discuss them with the FOSDEM community, raising awareness of how these issues intersect strongly with technological advances, and therefore why it is important to address and debate them”.

Alexander Sander, FSFE's Senior Policy Consultant and one of the devroom organizers

Last but not least, we want to thank you to everyone who take part of this devroom, from the amazing speakers to the participants who engaged in fruitful discussions to the FOSDEM organizers. We cannot wait to see you next year! And if you have any suggestion about topics and speakers, please do not hesitate to contact us!

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EU policy meets Free Software in FOSDEM

17. März 2024 um 23:00

EU policy meets Free Software in FOSDEM

The FSFE helped to organise a FOSDEM devroom about Free Software in the European legislative landscape. It was the first time that this devroom was held and got a lot of interest from the community, that engaged in fruitful discussions about current EU policy topics.

During the last edition of FOSDEM, an EU policy devroom was organised and FSFE helped to co-organise it! On the second day of the conference, some of our staff and volunteers took part in this devroom, which was packed, and where the community had the opportunity to discuss current policy topics together with European lawmakers.

The devroom kicked off the day with a discussion on the new liability rules for Free Software. This turned into a broader debate on how the Free Software community can and should engage in the decision making process. Alexander Sander, FSFE's Senior Policy Consultant, moderated the session on "FOSS Policy Engagement", including a panel and a fishbowl discussion. After that, Lina Ceballos, FSFE Policy Project Manager, opened the session on “Public Services interoperability” and the Interoperable Europe Act, followed by a discussion between decision makers and the Community on the challenges and opportunities that the Interoperable Europe Act means for the Free Software community. Finally, Lucas Lasota, FSFE Programme Manager, together with our Netherlands Coordinator Niko Rikken, highlighted the main challenges for Router Freedom and Device Neutrality in Europe.

As this was the first time that we co organised this devroom, we are particularly interested in your feedback when it comes to the idea itself but also on the different format which was used to discuss those topics. We also want to thanks to the other devroom organizers: Simon Phipps, Enzo Ribagnac, Maarten Aertsen, Axel Thévernet, Deb Bryant, and Gijs Hillenius.

EU policy devroom

CRA & PLD: Free Software in the European legislative landscape Free Software policy engagement: Free Software in the European legislative landscape Public Services Interoperability : Free Software in the European legislative landscape Digital Services Interoperability: Free Software in the European legislative landscape

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CRA & PLD: Liability rules with large exemptions for Free Software are introduced

11. März 2024 um 23:00

CRA & PLD: Liability rules with large exemptions for Free Software are introduced

With today's votes on CRA and PLD on the introduction of liability rules for software, a broad exception for Free Software was made, so that after long and intense debates individual developers and non for profit work are safeguarded.

On Tuesday, March 12, the two votes in the plenary of the European Parliament on the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and the Product Liability Directive (PLD) marked the provisional end of a long debate on the introduction of liability rules for software - with a broad exemption for Free Software.

Already at an early stage, the FSFE argued in a hearing in the EU Parliament, for the inclusion of clear and precise exemptions for Free Software development in the legislation and for liability to be transferred to those who significantly financially benefit from it on the market.

The co-legislators have largely complied with our demands and following intensive debates, have significantly improved the Commission’s proposal, by introducing an exemption for Free Software and including it in the articles of the regulation. In the future, individual developers and non-profit development of Free Software will be exempt from the CRA and the PLD. Nevertheless, the wording in both the regulations are different and a standardisation processes and guidelines are still being drawn up. We will therefore closely monitor the implementation and whether Software Freedom is protected accordingly. The efforts of Free Software advocates have also helped to ensure that decision maker in EU institutions now have a better understanding of Free Software and its various stakeholders, which will be useful in future debates.

"In the debate about liability rules for Free Software, it has become clear how important Free Software is for our economic and social development. On the other hand, it has also become clear what needs to be taken into account in the Regulation when it comes to software freedom. This has shown the immense importance of working together with the various stakeholders in Free Software development and distribution and as well as to understand and accommodate the different interests of these players," concludes Alexander Sander, FSFE`s Senior Policy Consultant.

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Let’s make Device Neutrality a reality in Europe!

06. März 2024 um 23:00

Let’s make Device Neutrality a reality in Europe!

As the Digital Markets Act comes into effect today, Device Neutrality starts to become a tangible reality in the European Union. While acknowledging the new law, the FSFE alerts that this is only the first step and further commitment is necessary.

Digital devices are becoming increasingly important tools in our daily tasks, with more and more of us using them in different areas of our lives. However, we, as end-users, are losing control over them – especially the ability to run Free Software – due to unfair practices by device manufacturers, vendors, and platforms.

Device Neutrality aims to restore end-user control over devices by ensuring software freedom in devices, protecting users from lock-ins and promoting their control over data in devices. It seeks to enable end-users to run the software of their choice and use services independently of the control exercised by hardware manufacturers, vendors, and platforms, known as gatekeepers.

Some aspects of Device Neutrality are imposed on large tech companies by the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a recent EU law that enters into force on 7 March, to reestablish higher degrees of competition in digital markets. Therefore, the DMA will be applicable to six gatekeepers: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Bytedance, Meta, and Microsoft.

The FSFE has been involved with the DMA throughout the legislative process, and welcomes its entry into force, which makes several elements of Device Neutrality legally enforceable. However, while the DMA represents a very important step in holding gatekeepers accountable for their negative disruptions and distortions in digital markets, the law alone is not enough to promote Device Neutrality to the extent necessary to re-empower end-user control over devices.

The Digital Markets Act: only a first step towards Device Neutrality

Initially, the enforcement of the DMA will be challenging, as the law addresses diverse aspects of devices including the (un)installation of software, the use of third-party apps stores and payment systems, interoperability obligations for operating systems and messaging apps, and some degree of real-time data portability. Imposing legal obligations on such elements will require considerable enforcement efforts and proper monitoring of the technical solutions implemented by the gatekeepers.

Besides, similarly to Router Freedom where network operators create various barriers and hurdles for end-users to exercise that right, gatekeepers may try hard to avoid implementing solutions that will fully benefit end-users, but rather may use the law in ways that can hinder end-users’ rights related to Device Neutrality. For instance, the tech company Apple – one of the gatekeepers – has already gone to court to avoid the DMA obligations, and decided to implement an absurd strategy against third-party apps stores (PDF) that will negatively impact the ability of alternatives such as F-Droid to enter iOS environments.

For these reasons, the FSFE will collaborate with the European Commission and other regulators to monitor compliance with the DMA, so that the DMA will act as a catalyst for Device Neutrality rather than an additional barrier to it.

“DMA represents a bold step from the EU to regulate large companies acting as gatekeepers over devices. However, proper implementation of the law will be challenging, and it will require strict monitoring from civil society to safeguard Device Neutrality. Open Internet needs Device Neutrality. Free Software is key to achieve that”.

-Lucas Lasota, FSFE’s Legal Programme Manager -

Going beyond very large platforms

The DMA is limited to big tech companies. The law only applies to enterprises providing services to at least 45 million monthly active end-users established or located in the EU on a yearly basis. Taking into account other quantitative restrictions, Device Neutrality is safeguarded by the law against only a handful of gatekeepers. Smaller companies may also engage in predatory behavior against Device Neutrality, negatively impacting end-users' rights. However, they are not covered by the DMA.

That’s why the FSFE is promoting Device Neutrality in a much broader context to include not only large companies but any device manufacturer, vendor, or platform. We strongly believe that software freedom should be the default standard and end-users should not be imprisoned into lock-ins. Tech companies should not trap users into walled gardens that limit what they can do with their devices.

Check the new webpage for Device Neutrality and help spread the word with our poster!

In parallel to its involvement with the DMA, the FSFE is launching a new website for Device Neutrality to raise public awareness of topics concerning Device Neutrality. This site points to in-depth insights about Device Neutrality and Free Software, downloadable promotional material, and ways to spread the word. Check it out!

Supporting the work on Device Neutrality

Higher degrees of openness and equality in digital markets can only be achieved when end-users can enjoy software freedom with their devices. The DMA is the first step, and the FSFE will continue to work for Device Neutrality in different areas: monitoring DMA implementation, overseeing compliance, collaborating with regulators and policy makers, promoting public awareness, and expanding the agenda beyond gatekeepers. For that, we count on your support for our work with a donation. Get active and help us empower you to regain control over your devices!

I want to donate for Device Neutrality!

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I love FS celebrations +++ FOSDEM 2024 +++ SFP episode

04. März 2024 um 23:00

I love FS celebrations +++ FOSDEM 2024 +++ SFP episode

Our March newsletter is here! Last month took us to FOSDEM, while ‘I Love Free Software Day’ was celebrated all over Europe. We also launched a new SFP episode on the state of Free Software and a discussion on banking and Software Freedom. Check out some interesting reading and event recommendations!

FOSDEM was a blast!

At the beginning of February, FSFE volunteers and staffers went back to Brussels to take part in FOSDEM 2024 with a booth and talks. While for some of us this has become an awesome yearly experience, it was the first time for others. We asked one of our interns to share his thoughts about his first time there, but we also collected the recordings of the talks and devrooms we were involved with.

Find out more!

Thanks to all who made I Love Free Software Day 2024 a great success!

Together with hundreds of people and several organisations, we have celebrated another “I Love Free Software Day” on 14 February! On this day, we reached out to Free Software contributors to say “Thank you!” To all who joined us this time: Thank you for participating in this 14th edition of the “I Love Free Software Day” ❤️❤️❤️!

Read the report!

SFP: The status of Free Software with Karen Sandler and Alexander Sander

Have there been any changes for Free Software in Europe or the USA in the last year? How is Free Software viewed by legislators? What can we do to Support Software Freedom? Karen Sandler and Alexander Sander are active in the Free Software movement and share their views on the current status of Free Software in our society.

Listen to it now!

Software Freedom in banking

Are you forced to use proprietary applications when dealing with your bank? What is the relationship between banking applications and Free Software? Our staff member Florian Snow has been researching this topic and found that banks are pushing the development and use of proprietary applications for two-factor authentification. In doing so, they are restricting users' freedom to choose a one-time password generator of their choice.

Read more and take part in the discussion on the mailing list and on the fediverse!

About Device Neutrality, the DMA, and software licensing

In recent years, the FSFE team has been working for Device Neutrality, promoting ways to re-empower users to control their devices by running Free Software on them. With the upcoming entrance into force of the latest EU legislation on this area – the Digital Markets Act – policy makers are interested in the strategies adopted by large tech corporations (gatekeepers) to comply with the DMA. The FSFE was contacted by the Headquarters for Digital Market Competition of Japan (HDMC) regarding Apple’s strategy to comply with the DMA and its impact on Free Software. Our staff prepared a study in collaboration with F-Droid. You can read the report here (PDF).

In regard to the DMA, we also recommend reading a paper that our Legal Programme Manager, Lucas Lasota, has published linking the DMA, Free Software, and freedom of terminal equipment. This study puts into perspective the role Free Software has in facilitating the process of achieving fairness and contestability of digital markets. As a case study, this article presents the recent regulatory developments involving routers and modems in the EU, and the interaction telecom operators’ monopolistic practices have with Free Software.

Last but not least, the FSFE has also provided an in-depth analysis of the compliance workflow adopted for the Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative. The study analyzes the compliance issues software projects may face during their implementation of Free Software licenses. This article concludes with the lessons learned from the experience gathered in the three years of implementation of the compliance workflow established for the NGI initiative, and especially notes how REUSE plays a game-changing role in this context.

Please share these publications to strengthen our efforts towards Software Freedom!

Join our next events!

For first time, we are participating in the Circonomia Festival in Fano (PU), Italy. There, we will be hosting, from 8 to 10 March, a workshop on decentralized and sustainable networks and Free Software, and a reading of the book “Ada & Zangemann” in Italian. You are welcome to join us any of the three days! Find out more in the event page.

A weekend later, on 16 and 17 March, you can meet as in the Chemnitzer Linux Days! One more year we are attending this long-standing event for education about Linux and Free Software. We will be present with an information booth, and on Saturday, the FSFE’s Policy Project Manager, Johannes Näder, will present Youth Hacking 4 Freedom, the Free Software competition for young people aged 14-18, currently in its third edition.

And if you are in Utrecht that Saturday, on 16 March, stop by at our info booth at the national Dutch Linux Users Group (NLLGG) meeting!

Remember that you can find all the information about our events at events.fsfe.org.

Take action: spread the word about FediGov!

FediGov is an initiative by the FSFE Swiss local group, together with GNU/Linux.ch, which aims to raise awareness among public institutions to use federated Free Software solutions to communicate with the public.

This campaign encourages individuals to ask their governments to adopt federated and decentralized communications by explaining to their local authorities the importance of sovereign communications in the public sector.

You can help by spreading the word at the local level, but also by contributing to the website with translations or improvements! Take action!

Quote of the month

I think the best thing about YH4F is that it promotes Free Software alternatives to people who haven’t had the chance to realize the benefits of such projects. I use Free Software pretty frequently, especially when it comes to operating systems.

Alexia, Youth Hacking 4 Freedom 2022 participant

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 editors, Ana and Tommi

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FOSDEM 2024 was a blast!

29. Februar 2024 um 23:00

FOSDEM 2024 was a blast!

At the beginning of February, FSFE volunteers and staffers went back to Brussels to take part in FOSDEM 2024 with a booth and talks. While for some of us this has become an awesome yearly experience, it was the first time for others. Thanks to everyone who came to FOSDEM, visited our booth for a nice chat, and joined us during our social events!

Our team and volunteers at our FOSDEM 2024 booth!

For many members of our community, FOSDEM marks the beginning of the annual Free Software conferences. It is also one of the largest conferences on Software Freedom, so as a Free Software enthusiast it is one of the places to be.

While most of our staff and volunteers have marked the first weekend of February in their calendars for years, some FSFE members attended for the first time. We asked one of them, Tommi, a Free Software enthusiast and FSFE intern, about his first FOSDEM experience.

“When I was asked to go to FOSDEM, my answer was of course! So, a couple of weeks ago, I caught a train to Brussels and took part in the first FOSDEM of my life. It won’t be the last one.

It is hard to explain how incredible an experience it was to attend the conference. What struck me the most was to finally give a face and an identity to usernames contributing to Free Software. Up to FOSDEM, I personally met only a few people directly involved in the universe of open technologies that I have been following in the past few years. FOSDEM gave me the opportunity to finally have a face-to-face conversation with a lot of developers and members of the Free Software community, and I expressed my gratitude to them.

Both by standing at our booth and by wandering around, I could not help but feel surrounded by like-minded people who believe in the importance of Software Freedom, and more broadly in technology developed by the people for the people. I chatted face-to-face with developers and maintainers of projects whose existence literally changed my life, and all this happened in a self-organized and volunteer-led environment, making it even more interesting and captivating. Of course, there was also time to attend really interesting talks, and I had the chance to listen to my colleagues in front of an audience. It was also great to have the chance to meet a lot of FSFE volunteers and engage in interesting discussions with them during our social events.”

For this year, we had a booth at FOSDEM with promotion material and merchandising. Thanks to everyone who gave us a hand there!

If you missed FOSDEM or didn’t have time to attend all of our sessions, don’t worry! Have a look at the devrooms we co-organized this year and took part in, so that you can learn something new, deepen your knowledge, and improve your Free Software skills.

Legal and Policy issues Devroom CRA & PLD: Free Software in the European legislative landscape, the first of four parts of the EU policy devroom Codes Bound by Ethics: The Rising Tide of Non-Free Software Licenses in AI ecosystems Presenting Youth Hacking 4 Freedom, FSFE programming competition for European teenagers

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"I Love Free Software Day" 2024: Forging the future with Free Software

25. Februar 2024 um 23:00

"I Love Free Software Day" 2024: Forging the future with Free Software

Together with hundreds of people and several organisations, we have celebrated another "I Love Free Software Day" on 14 February! On this day, we reached out to Free Software contributors to say Thank you! To all who joined us this time: Thank you for participating in this 14th edition of the "I Love Free Software Day" ❤️❤️❤️!

The "I Love Free Software Day" 2024 focused on younger generations and how to introduce them into the Free Software community. Therefore, several of our local groups celebrated this day with a meeting focused on younger people. The rest just focused on the main "I Love Free Software Day" idea: to acknowledge the amazing Free Software community, thanking Free Software projects and sharing their love for Free Software. And while several FSFE local groups - in Italy, Denmark, Netherlands, Spain, England, Germany, and Switzerland - got together and celebrated their love for software freedom in person, we were happy to see how other other members of the Free Software community joined our call and organised meetings, like the one in Portugal.

I Love Free Software Day celebrations 2024

For this year the FSFE planned a special gift for several organisations and long-term volunteers to get them ready for 'I Love Free Software' day. We gave them an acrylglas heart and an LED strip, plus a microcontroller and some jump wires. The challenge? To tinker around with these things and to upload a picture of the heart on 14 February. It turned out to be quite a challenge, but a lot of fun!

For the celebrations in 2024, over a hundred people came together in 13 local meetings organised by either FSFE local groups or other Free Software groups in seven different countries. The celebrations were as different as the groups. The local group in Aarhus, Denmark, organised a reading of the children's book "Ada & Zangemann", while the Portuguese organisation esop organised a translation of this book into Portuguese.

"'I Love Free Software Day' celebration in Zurich, Switzerland" "'I Love Free Software Day' celebration in Potteries, England" "'I Love Free Software Day' celebration in Bergamo, Italy"

There are many more thank you messages and blogposts out there highlighting the work of Free Software contributors. It is touching to see so many people, companies, and organisations joining us for this special day and reaching out to the people who work for software freedom. For a longer read we recommend the full "I Love Free Software Day: Forging the future" report.

Thank you for joining this year's “I Love Free Software” celebrations ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

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SFP#24: The status of Free Software with Karen Sandler and Alexander Sander

13. Februar 2024 um 23:00

SFP#24: The status of Free Software with Karen Sandler and Alexander Sander

Have there been any changes for Free Software in Europe or the USA in the last year? How is Free Software viewed by legislators? What can we do to support software freedom? Karen Sandler and Alexander Sander are active in the Free Software movement and share their views on the current status of Free Software in our society.

Karen Sandler is the executive director of the Software Freedom Conservancy and has a background in law and engineering. Our second guest for this episode is the FSFE's Senior Policy Consultant, Alexander Sander. In his work, Alex focuses on policy topics, always raising the status of Free Software within Europe. Over the past year, he has met with many decision-makers in Europe such as Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) or officials from the European Commission and Council, to talk about Free Software, for example in relation to the AI Act, the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), or the Product Liability Directive (PLD).

At the same time, across the ocean, the Software Freedom Conservancy has been working with a broad alliance to advocate for the right to repair.

In short a lot has happened in the past year. Luckily, Alex and Karen are here to talk with our host Bonnie about the current situation and what we still need to do for software freedom. Learn more about the state of Free Software with Alex and Karen and find out how you can support software freedom.

This is the perfect episode for everybody who needs a quick summary of the past year. Let's start software freedom!

Show notes

If you liked this episode and want to support our continuous work for software freedom, please help us with a donation.

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Celebrate I Love Free Software Day +++ Interoperable Europe Act adopted

12. Februar 2024 um 23:00

Celebrate I Love Free Software Day +++ Interoperable Europe Act adopted

Once again, FOSDEM did not disappoint! Meeting the Free Software community in Brussels is always one of the best moments of the year! And just before we meet again to celebrate I Love Free Software Day with the news of the Interoperable Europe Act being adopted! This newsletter also includes our first interviews with 2023 Youth Hacking 4 Freedom participants… and more!

Table of contents:

I Love Free Software Day 2024: Join an event!

On 14 February Free Software communities around the world gather to celebrate developers, maintainers, and contributors of Free Software projects. Take part in one of the many events across Europe that celebrate the contributors to our favorite type of software: Free Software!

On this day we reach out to those people behind Free Software and say “Thank you” for their work and help throughout the year.

Visit the activity’s website to learn more about “I Love Free Software Day 2024: Forging the Future with Free Software”.

Interoperable Europe Act adopted, close monitoring vital

The Interoperable Europe Act has been adopted, on 6 February, in plenary with 524 votes in favour, 18 against, and 97 abstentions. Although some of the potential of the regulation got undermined, the Act as a whole is an important opportunity for Free Software and its community to contribute to an interoperable Europe. The FSFE will closely monitor its implementation.

Meet Jannes and Aaron, YH4F 2023 participants

Find out more about the Youth Hacking 4 Freedom participants in the 2023 edition! We are starting this series of interviews talking with Jannes and Aaron: both worked on projects related to school education, and it is particularly interesting to see how these two projects approached different aspects with a similar spirit.

The FSFE partners with the Edulife Foundation to introduce Italian students to Free Software

In the framework of the ITS Academy LAST project, the Free Software Foundation Europe and the Edulife Foundation, the operational partner of ITS Academy LAST, have developed a two-year agreement to deliver educational content to students about Free Software legal aspects, policy, and public awareness.

NGI: € 21.6 million in grants for Free Software

The Next Generation Internet (NGI) Zero consortium, of which the FSFE is a partner, has just unveiled the NGI0 Commons Fund. This new public fund will award 21.6 million euro to small and medium R&D projects developing Free Software technologies that can improve the Internet.

Take action: Help us spread the word about Router Freedom!

Since several countries have officially introduced the possibility for users to use their own routers, we want to encourage people to try out and enjoy this freedom. We need your help to design, publish, and print materials that can be used on booths and at other in-person events, so people can talk about and collectively learn about using their own routers.

  • Leaflet: If we raise 3,000 euros, we can cover the costs for the design and printing of a new leaflet with a nice and intuitive design for the decision tree, as well as with basic information about Router Freedom. As are all our information materials, it will also be available under a free license on our website.
  • Sticker: As a thank you for your help, did you know that you can order our Router Freedom sticker for free to show off on your liberated router/modem?

Quote of the month

I believe Free Software needs a voice at the national as well as the EU level in politics: Software does not exist in an isolated bubble, it’s heavily dependent on the ecosystem that it lives in. In my opinion Free Software as well as open standards are key to creating a society that provides equal access.

Isabel Drost-Fromm (Software Engineer and Member of the Apache Software Foundation)

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 editors, Ana and Tommi

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Less than one week to I Love Free Software Day 2024!

07. Februar 2024 um 23:00

Less than one week to I Love Free Software Day 2024!

On 14 February, Free Software communities around the world gather to celebrate developers, maintainers, and contributors of Free Software projects. Take part in one of the many events across Europe that celebrate this day!

There is just less than one week until many Free Software enthusiasts from all over meet to celebrate “I Love Free Software Day”, an occasion to share gratitude and appreciation to those who make the dream of Free Software come true. This year, the focus of the celebration is on young generations; that’s why we are calling it “I Love Free Software Day 2024 – Forging the Future with Free Software”! In Italy, the UK, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, the FSFE local groups, as well as other Free Software communities and enthusiasts, are going to make this day special.

In Bergamo, Italy, with Kenobit and Dario!

This year, a very big event is taking place in Bergamo, Italy: together with Bergamo Linux User Group (BgLUG), we are hosting a workshop and discussion about the critical relevance Free Software has for music production. Our host for that night, Kenobit, is a chiptune music producer, a Fediverse administrator, and an exceptional creative mind! For I Love Free Software Day he is going to host a workshop about the use of Free Software for music production. This year’s I Love Free Software Day is focusing on young people, who are the next generation for Free Software. Kenobit is a well known DJ in Italy, and many young people can connect with his music. Moreover, FSFE’s project manager Dario Presutti is participating to moderate the conversation. The Bergamo event starts at 18:00 (CET) at Spazio Polaresco. The event is open to everybody; come and join the BgLUG for an evening full of Free Software!

If you are not in the Milan/Bergamo area, don’t worry! People are meeting in so many places it is likely that you can find an event near you!

Other gatherings in Europe!

In Italy, the Linux User Group of Bolzano/Bozen is taking I Love Free Software Day as an opportunity to start a series of weekly meetings, the “Free Software Wednesdays”! Check out their website to learn more. In Bologna, the Tech Workers Coalition Italia is using this day to begin the “Free Software Syndacates” study group!

In the UK, the FSFE Potteries (Staffordshire) local group is planning to host a cozy and welcoming evening at the KPA Clubhouse; join them to have a great time!

In Germany, if you are around Wiesbaden, join the local Chaos Computer Club for a series of lightning talks and a final roundtable. In Berlin, the local FSFE group is going to be meeting at xHain to share ideas and love about Free Software projects, while having a great time together.

In Spain two local groups are organising events. There will be a meeting in Barcelona, with a fun introduction to Free Software. In Madrid a meeting will be organised in the local Makespace.

The Danish friends of FSFE are meeting in Aarhus. In Switzerland, the FSFE local group is meeting in Zurich.

Spread the word, share the love!

Can’t join a celebration in person? Please do not let this prevent you from sharing the love and saying “Thank you” to Free Software developers and contributors! Here are some options:

  • create a short video with a “Thank You” message to your favourite Free Software project. You can then share it via your preferred social media channel with the hashtag #ilovefs.
  • With our Sharepic Generator, create a Sharepic of yourself and include a personal “Thank You” message. Then you can share it on social media using the hashtag #ilovefs.

Additional information is on the I Love Free Software page. Feel free to reach out to contact@fsfe.org if you have any questions. We hope to be seeing you soon!

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Interoperable Europe Act adopted, close monitoring vital

05. Februar 2024 um 23:00

Interoperable Europe Act adopted, close monitoring vital

Today the Interoperable Europe Act has been adopted in plenary with 524 votes in favour, 18 against and 97 abstentions. Although some of the potential of the regulation got undermined, the Act as a whole is an important opportunity for Free Software and its community to contribute to an interoperable Europe. The FSFE will closely monitor its implementation.

Interoperability stands as a cornerstone in the establishment of a seamlessly connected and digitalized infrastructure. Through the Interoperable Europe Act, the EU is aiming to enhance interoperability in cross-border digital public services. The FSFE has urged decision makers to recognise the crucial role of Free Software and the expertise of its community in achieving this goal in this regulation. As with our Public Money? Pubic Code! Initiative, we have demanded decision makers to acknowledge the role of Free Software in fostering digital European public administrations while having control and sovereignty over the software they are using and making sure that public funds are spent in the most efficient way.

In spite of our efforts to integrate the Free Software community into the decision making power body, the Interoperable Europe Board, decision makers have opted to involve this community solely within the Interoperable Europe Community. While this allows the community to provide expertise, it underscores the importance of closely monitoring the implementation of this regulation. Such monitoring helps identify opportune moments for civil society, including the Free Software community, to contribute effectively.

Beyond these limitations and some ambiguities in the wording in many parts of the text (see Interoperable Europe Act: an ambition that turned out to be watered-down), we welcome that decision makers have heard some of our demands. We managed to include provisions mandating the European Commission to provide an annual report on the development of Free Software interoperability solutions for public services, while including requirements to set up actions in support of Free Software interoperability solutions. These actions will be instrumental in assessing the Act’s success in prioritising the use of Free Software and will help us to keep being a watchdog on the matter.

With the text now finalised, the most crucial phase of the regulation begins - its implementation. We will monitor the implementation to make sure that Free Software reaches its full potential as an enabler of transparent, reusable and shareable solutions. We will also keep a close watch for opportunities where the Free Software community can engage and by providing its expertise support public administrations throughout the EU in delivering Free Software interoperable digital services states Lina Ceballos, FSFE Policy Project Manager.

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See you at FOSDEM 2024!

29. Januar 2024 um 23:00

See you at FOSDEM 2024!

It is that time of the year again. FOSDEM will take place in Brussels on 3 and 4 February 2024. The Free Software Foundation Europe will be there with most of its staff and some of our volunteers! Are you planning to attend? If so, come meet us at our booth!

FOSDEM brings together thousands of Free Software enthusiasts in Brussels on the first weekend of February each year to discuss Free Software related topics. Once again, we are participating in this two-day event at the Free University of Brussels with our booth, the Legal and Policy Devroom that we co-organize, and other interesting talks. Our team will be there ready to meet you, engage in fruitful discussions, and network with the Free Software community. Come along to check out our socks and t-shirts, along with a bunch of freshly-printed stickers!

If you are planning to come to FOSDEM, we encourage you to join our Matrix FOSDEM 2024 room. Stay up to date and step by our social gatherings!Indeed, if you are already in Brussels on Friday, you can join our first social gathering and catch up! We'll meet for dinner and drinks at La Mazette at 19:00h. See in OpenStreetMap.

Saturday, 3 February

From Saturday, as usual, you will find us around, mainly at our booth. Whether you are a newcomer or a Free Software expert, our team will be happy to meet you at the FSFE booth. Come to chat with us and discuss of Free Software, get informed about our activities, share with us your impressions about our new stickers, and add a new t shirt - or a pair of socks - to your wardrobe. Our booth is the best place to find our team! The FSFE Booth is in Building K level 2. Group A - Community advocacy, 5.

Moreover, Saturday is the day during which our co-organized devroom, the Legal and Policy Issues Devroom, takes place. We have been co-organizing this devroom since 2020. Since then, FOSDEM participants have showed great interest in these topics. Our Legal and Policy Issues Devroom is taking place from 15:00 in Guillissen. One more year, together with our co-organisers Karen Sandler and Bradley Kuhn from Software Freedom Conservancy, and Tom Marble from Informatique, Inc., the FSFE’s Alexander Sander and Matthias Kirschner will be addressing key legal and policy topics related to Free Software.

  • 09:00h - 19:00h - FSFE Booth Building K level 2. Group A - Community advocacy, 5.
  • 15:00h - 19:00h - Legal & Policy Devroom Room: UA2.220 (Guillissen)
    • 15:00h – 15:05h - Welcome to the Legal and Policy Issues Devroom: UA2.220 (Guillissen)
    • 15:05h – 16:00h - RHEL and CentOS and the growth of openwashing in FOSS Room: UA2.220 (Guillissen)
    • 16:00h – 16:30h - Figuring out trademark policy on the fly Room: UA2.220 (Guillissen)
    • 16:30h – 17:00h - GPL’s Termination under German Law Room: UA2.220 (Guillissen)
    • 17:00h – 17:40h - Further Restrictions, Imposed Downstream on Copyleft, Wreak Havoc: Discussing A Plan of Action Room: UA2.220 (Guillissen)
    • 17:40h – 18:10h - The new Swiss Open Source Law: "Public Money Public Code" by default Room: UA2.220 (Guillissen)
    • 18:10h - 19:00h - Hot Topics: Organizers of the Legal & Policy DevRoom discuss the issues of the day Room: UA2.220 (Guillissen)

After a long day, what is better than a pizza? Join us to continue discussing Free Software while we enjoy yummy pizza. We'll at Otomat at 19:30h. See in OpenStreetMap.

Sunday, 4 February

On Sunday, our booth will be open from 9:00h until 17:00h. You will find there our team and volunteers who would love to explain our activities to you. We come with a lot of merchande, but if you want to secure a t-shirt in your size, the sooner you are coming, the better!

On this day, the "Open Source in the European Legislative Landscape" devroom will take place. This devroom is run by Simon Phipps, Enzo Ribagnac, Maarten Aertsen, Axel Thévernet, Deb Bryant, Alexander Sander, and Gijs Hillenius. The Community will discuss current policy topics with European legislators. There, Alexander Sander, FSFE's Senior Policy Consultant, will moderate the session on "FOSS Policy Engagement". After that, if you stay in the same room, you will have the chance to listen to Lina Ceballos, FSFE Policy Project Manager, who will open the session on “Public Services interoperability” and the Interoperable Europe Act, followed by a discussion between decision makers and the Community. Later that day, Lucas Lasota, FSFE Programme Manager, together with our Netherlands Coordinator Niko Rikken, will highlight the main challenges for Router Freedom and Device Neutrality in Europe.

Finally, Niharika Singhal, FSFE’s Project Manger, will present the FSFE’s work on AI and license proliferation done within the Zooom initiative. The talk will be presented in the AI and Machine Learning devroom.

  • 09:00 – 17:00 - FSFE Booth Building K level 2. Group A - Community advocacy, 5.
  • 12:30 – 13:10 - FOSS policy engagement: workshop Room AW1.120
  • 13:35 – 14:10 - Public services interoperability: The Interoperable Europe Act; the challenges and opportunities for the free and open source communities Room AW1.120
  • 15:10 – 15:20 - Digital Services Interoperability: Intertwining EU telecom law, the DMA, internet devices and Free Software Room AW1.120
  • 16:00 – 16:15 - Codes Bound by Ethics: The Rising Tide of Non-Free Software Licenses in AI ecosystems Room UB2.252A (Lameere)

Of course, there will be many more interesting talks going on! You can check the schedule of the two-day conference in the FOSDEM website.

Let’s close these two intense but insightful days with our last community gathering. We'll meet at 18:00 at the Cafè La Maison du Peuple. See in OpenStreetMap.

Give us a hand!

Although we hope we do not have a lot of merchandise left at the end of the conference, tearing down the booth is usually not an easy task so we might need extra hands on Sunday. Contact our Office Assistant, Francesca, at fi@fsfe.org if you can join us!

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Meet Jannes and Aaron, YH4F 2023 participants

25. Januar 2024 um 23:00

Meet Jannes and Aaron, YH4F 2023 participants

Find out more about the Youth Hacking 4 Freedom participants of the 2023 edition. We are starting this series talking with Jannes and Aaron: both worked on projects related to school education, and it is particularly interesting to see how these two projects approached different aspects with a similar spirit.

Aaron and Jannes are two German students, from North Westphalia and near Hamburg, respectively. They are 18 and 19 years old, and during Youth Hacking 4 Freedom 2023 they created School Hub and Nanoly+Shigoto, two projects that they intend to continue to develop.

School Hub is an unified platform for school information both for students and teachers. It seeks to help the average student to use data more quickly, while being an alternative to similar proprietary apps. Nanoly and Shigoto are designed to have a more efficient and tailored environment for managing homework and study material. In this interview, we will learn more about them!

FSFE: Hi to Aaron and Jannes! Before diving into the details, can you introduce yourselves?

Aaron: I’m Aaron. I’m 18 years old and I come from North Westphalia, in Germany. I’ve been interested in computers from a very early age and it’s currently what I do as a hobby. It’s my passion.

Jannes: My name is Jannes. I’m from Germany and I live near Hamburg. I’m currently 19 years old and I’m in the 13th grade, so this is my last year of school. I like programming. I also do sports: I like cycling a lot, and I practice Aikido in my free time.

FSFE: Could you introduce us to the project you developed for YH4F 2023?

Aaron: My project is called “School Hub”, it aims to be a unified platform for school information, both for students and teachers.

School Hub’s “news” section (Neuigkeiten)

Very early in my time trying out Flutter [coding framework], I was incredibly interested and passionate about it. At the same time, the current software my school uses is proprietary and it’s crap. So I asked my school: “Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if our school had a mobile app with these features and resources? I think it would be cool!” The idea was shot down for privacy reasons or because they did’t want to get involved.

That’s what made me think: “I need an app that I can open in the morning and I don’t have to sign in every morning; where I can see instantly for me which lessons are cancelled, substituted or otherwise if something special going on”. Nowadays we use Microsoft Teams, but all the data is communicated through chats: it’s not really stored anywhere properly. So the main point of the app is to take all the data it can collect, and present it in a nice way.

School Hub’s “substitutions” (Vertretungen) section

Jannes: I developed two sibling projects: Nanoly, a file manager focused for school usage, and Shigoto, a to-do list manager. By integrating them, my purpose was to provide students with a dashboard to manage their school work.

I’m working on my laptop most of the time, and I needed some sort of organization, as well as a tool for writing homework. I had very specific needs and use cases in mind, such as opening files with custom key-bindings, touch support, annotating PDFs, and other things. So I started building the UI and then writing the code for it. I learned a lot of new things along the way!

Nanoly’s main page

My main idea was to reduce the number of windows I have open on my screen in order to be more productive. I haven’t quite achieved this, because I decided to develop two parallel projects. But at least both concepts fit very well on one screen, and I don’t need anything else except the application that’s open to edit files, for example.

An example of the Shigoto dashboard

FSFE: Not any kind of project, your projects are Free Software! How did you get in touch with the movement?

Jannes: I first got into free software during the first covid lockdown. A friend convinced me to switch to Linux and invited me into a group chat with people, who all work/study in the IT sector. I joined their video calls and learned a lot from them about Linux, self-hosting, and other great free and open source software. During the same period, I also got into programming, and participated in some competitions. One of the people from the chat group told me about the YH4F competition, where I then learned how to make my own software into Free Software.

Aaron: My family like to joke about being careful to give me a screwdriver, because otherwise I would disassemble all the devices in the house. I have been tinkering with computers since I was little. As I got older, I played around with it. I experimented with programming, trying out different kinds of software. And eventually I wrote one by my own.

At some point I became curious about installing Ubuntu. So I did. Later, I tried several different distributions. I switched off Windows completely. And I appreciate that my operating system doesn’t nag me all the time.

FSFE: You developed your software during YH4F 2023, where you also had the chance to meet other young developers as well as more senior Free Software contributors. How was this experience?

Aaron: One thing I really enjoyed about the competition was the generous amount of time compared to my previous involvement in events or competitions. Most of the time, I have participated in hackathons where I only had a couple of days at most. It is just enough for a really small and light proof of concept. By putting more time and energy into my own project, I was able to make it much better. I also enjoyed the frequent meetings we had, as well as some guest presentations from some prominent people. It’s always nice to see how people do their things, which is something I don’t get to see very often.

Jannes: There was quite a lot I learned! By participating also to the 2022 edition, it was such a long time that I invested into putting both competitions together, three projects in different areas. I learnt a bit about those areas. Just a little bit about the whole context, but a lot for me. I was able to help improve my coding skills. In terms of the competition itself, it was really great. There was a chat room, there were the monthly calls and it was super easy to interact with the other participants, which was very fun. I always felt particularly taken care of by the organizers, because we always had a way of contacting them to get some help if we needed it. The monthly calls were great to stay up to date and keep in touch with the others.

FSFE: The competition has finished, but life goes on. What are the future plans both for your project and for you?

Jannes: First of all, I want to finish school and apply to the University of Hamburg. I hope to be accepted. Between the end of school and the start of the first semester there are about 21 weeks that I have to fill somehow. During this time, I really want to push my personal projects, because I still have a lot of them on my to-do list. I also want to try and get a small job where I can work in a team with others, hopefully coding, or maybe software testing.

Aaron: Once I have a bit more free time and less stress around me, I can definitely see myself working on this project and seeing if I can make it more functional, ideally making it a little companion. Apart from the app, I really hope that I can continue with my studies. At the same time, I hope to be able to continue coding and developing free applications as a hobby, because that’s what I enjoy doing.

FSFE: Thank you Jannes and Aaron. We wish you a great future and a lot of success with your projects!

The new edition of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom has just started its coding period! Participants registration are still open, so you can still take part in the 2024 edition. Check out the YH4F webiste to find out all the details about this competition!

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The FSFE partners with the Edulife Foundation to introduce Italian students to Free Software

21. Januar 2024 um 23:00

The FSFE partners with the Edulife Foundation to introduce Italian students to Free Software

In the framework of the ITS Academy LAST project, the Free Software Foundation Europe and the Edulife Foundation, the operational partner of ITS Academy LAST, have developed a two-year agreement to deliver educational content to students about Free Software legal aspects, policy and public awareness.

During SFSCon 2023, the FSFE and Edulife Foundation kicked off a collaboration project to raise awareness about the benefits of Free Software to the next generation of innovators. The educational initiative aims to expose the students to Free Software, so they can positively contribute to how technology is developed. More than 50 students of the ITS Academy LAST were able to attend the kick-off at SFSCon, having the opportunity to listen to talks about Free Software as well as engage in discussions with experts from the FSFE and other speakers and enthusiasts.

For more than 20 years, the Edulife Research Foundation has been working to guide local students and educators in Italy towards the realisation of their professional and personal life goals. One the leading initiative is the “Observatory and Laboratory for Free Software”. Antonio Faccioli, the scientific coordinator of the digital courses of the ITS Academy LAST, and a Free Software enthusiast, was the idealizer of this partnership.

This partnership represents an important step for the FSFE to engage with students and educational communities in Italy. It is important to convey to next generation of professionals the message of Free Software, especially in broader contexts the mean of technology in a democratic society.

The IT Free Software Knowledge Project

Known as “IT Free Software Knowledge Project”, this two-year partnership started in November 2023. As part of this studies academic program, the FSFE has delivered educational content about Free Software, with a focus on Free Software legal issues, policy aspects and public awareness in the form of lectures. Besides, the students attended Free Software conferences, such as the SFSCon, where they will be able to have a more practical approach and the opportunity to get in touch with leading experts of the Free Software world.

Should you want to receive further information on the IT Free Software Knowledge Project do not hesitate to get in touch with us at contact@fsfe.org. We are always on the look out for partners who share the same goals to foster a culture of Free Software on the territory. If you want to share a project idea please do not hesitate to contact us.

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NGI: € 21.6 million in grants for Free Software

16. Januar 2024 um 23:00

NGI: € 21.6 million in grants for Free Software

The Next Generation Internet (NGI) Zero consortium, of which the FSFE is a partner, has just unveiled the NGI0 Commons Fund. This new public fund will award 21.6 million euro to small and medium R&D projects developing Free Software technologies that can improve the Internet.

The Next Generation Internet Zero consortium aims to build a more resilient, trustworthy, and open Internet that empowers end-users to control technology. Since 2018, FSFE has been a partner of this coalition, led by the NLNet Foundation, providing support to several hundreds of Free Software projects with their legal and licensing issues. The FSFE has developed workflows and best practices for such projects. We have also been promoting the REUSE specification as a way to simplify copyright and licence compliance for software projects.

The NGI Commons Fund will award over 21 million euro in small and medium R&D grants to Free Software projects starting in 2024, until 2027. This makes the fund the single largest investment made by the European Commission’s Next Generation Internet initiative since it became operational in 2019.

Simplified granting process

The grants (between 5,000 and 50,000 euro) are available to individuals and organisations of any type. One requirement for receiving a grant is that the project outcomes must be made publicly available under a Free Software license. For projects with high scalable potential, a scale-up programme is also available.

The scope of the open calls is broad, meaning that those working on technology commons across the entire technological spectrum can apply: operating systems, front and backend apps, AI, open hardware, encryption and security technologies, and many more areas are included.

The first call of the NGI Zero Commons Fund opens on 1 February 2024, with a deadline of 1 April 2024 12:00 CET (noon). It will be followed by new opportunities every two months until the budget is fully allocated.

Besides financial support, the projects can count on a range of support services to improve the quality, maturity, and deployability of their efforts. Practical services such as security, accessibility audits, and packaging help to improve the quality and promote adoption of the projects. Services like mentoring and diversity management aim to strengthen the communities behind them or, in the case of the FSFE, to help with legal and licensing questions.

“We believe the NGI0 Commons Fund to be a crucial stepping stone for promoting the development of Free Software in Europe. Free Software is key for helping people to control technology in a democratic society. Fostering digital commons through these investments will render technologies more accessible and the internet less dependent on proprietary solutions”, Gabriel Ku Wei Bin, FSFE’s Legal Programme Manager.

About NGI Zero

The FSFE is a consortium member of the Next Generation Internet (NGI), supported by the European Commission's DG CNECT. The NGI has the mission to re-imagine and re-engineer the Internet to shape a value-centric, human and inclusive society for all. NGI Zero is a dynamic coalition of not-for-profit organisations founded in 2019 that together fund and support the development of technology commons as building blocks for the future of the Internet. NGI Zero encompasses a grant mechanism providing resources for several hundreds of Free Software projects.

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Podcast episodes +++ Router Freedom tech wiki +++ Become our policy intern

15. Januar 2024 um 23:00

Podcast episodes +++ Router Freedom tech wiki +++ Become our policy intern

We are starting 2024 with a lot of energy, looking for a policy intern and with great news: two new SFP episodes, the Router Freedom tech wiki, the ‘Ada & Zangemann’ ebook is free of charge in French, and we are looking forward to celebrating ‘I Love Free Software Day’ on 14 February!

Table of contents

  1. Software Freedom Podcast: Listen to our episodes about ‘What is Free Software’ and ‘Public Money? Public Code!’
  2. Router Freedom: Good news: our tech wiki is now online! Bad news: Austria goes against Router Freedom
  3. Spread the Word! We are looking for a policy intern
  4. Unblocking User Freedom: The right to use adblockers
  5. ‘Ada & Zangemann’: What pupils write about proprietary software and why it motivates the author
  6. Italian Community Meeting 2023
  7. Get Involved: I Love Free Software Day
  8. Quote of the Month
  9. Contribute to our Newsletter

Software Freedom Podcast: Listen to our episodes about ‘What is Free Software’ and ‘Public Money? Public Code!’

During the past weeks we published two new episodes of our Software Freedom Podcast!

In our episode number 23, some FSFE staffers play a guessing game with terms related to Free Software. This is the perfect episode for you to learn more about it and get a better understanding of some terms that you might not use daily.

Before that, we talked with Johannes Näder, Senior Policy Project Manager at the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE), about "Public Money? Public Code!", in our 22nd episode.

Router Freedom: Good news: our tech wiki is now online! Bad news: Austria goes against Router Freedom

Have you ever thought about installing your own router but never had the chance to learn how to do it? Now you can with our Router Freedom tech wiki, which provides information on the necessary steps you need to use to connect your own router! With the help of our team of volunteers from the Netherlands, you can check all the necessary steps to start using your own home router. Our policy and advocacy work continues, notwithstanding some regulatory hurdles. The Austrian Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and Telecommunications decided not to regulate the network operators with regard to Router Freedom, allowing Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to impose their equipment on consumers. We will continue to seek alternative ways to promote Router Freedom in the country.

Spread the Word! We are looking for a policy intern

The FSFE team is looking for a motivated intern to support the FSFE’s policy activities and contribute to our work to empower people to control technology. The person will work 35 hours per week with our team in the FSFE Berlin office for a period of six months.

“I joined FSFE as an intern in March 2023 because I have always been interested in European politics and because the slogan "Public Money? Public Code!" resonated deeply with my beliefs. The experience at FSFE has been great: I learned how to make our voice heard and I am proud of being part of a community of many amazing people working and volunteering for software freedom.” - Dario Presutti, former policy intern

Unblocking User Freedom: The right to use adblockers

Companies increasingly aim to control how users interact with their content online, threatening user freedom. As more companies crack down on browser extensions and other third-party software used by internet users to customise their experiences, two recent German court cases on adblockers could strengthen the legal case for user control over technology.

Interesting? Read our news item to find out more about this topic.

"Ada & Zangemann": What pupils write about proprietary software and why it motivates the author

Pupils all over the world are learning about the story of "Ada & Zangemann - A Tale of Software, Skateboards and Raspberry Ice Cream": it is encouraging to see how new generations are inspired to start coding and to write to Zangemann about his behaviour. Check out this message from our president, Matthias Kirschner, to our readers.

The story of "Ada & Zangemann" is now available in French and, thanks to the French Ministry of Education, you can download the ebook free of charge at https://cfeditions.com/ada(FR). And if you want to read the story about how this book was translated into French by some students, do not forget to read the quote there (FR) from Alexis Kauffmann, head of the Free Software and educational resources project at the Ministry of Education and Youth and founder of Framasoft.

Italian Community Meeting 2023

More than 20 volunteers and associations’ members from all over Italy, online and in person, gathered in Bolzano for the Italian Community Meeting during SFSCON 2023 to discuss the future of Free Software in Italy. You can enjoy the recording of the workshop in our Peertube Channel.

A sneak peek at the main topics discussed by our participants: Free Software in schools, the creation of a toolkit which can be adopted by all organizations to encourage the use of Free Software, and raising awareness about Free Software with the general public through simplified information!

Get Involved: I Love Free Software Day

On 14 February, we gather to celebrate "I Love Free Software Day". Join our local groups’ events on that date, organise your own gathering, and/or send a message to thank the contributors of the Free Software project you really like.

For “I Love Free Software Day 2024: Forging the future with Free Software”, we want to focus on engaging young generations in Free Software as they are the ones who will shape the next years. For more information, ideas, and inspiration check out the ‘I Love Free Software’ activity page!.

Quote of the Month

“Dear Zangemann, I used to like your inventions in fact I still like them but you are starting to use them in the wrong way. It’s not fair that some people have to eat, drink and listen to music they don’t like. When you do that to people can see you inside and how selfish you are. It’s much better if you share your inventions because it doesn’t mean they are stealing it, it means they just are borrowing it, and making it better. So please share your ideas. It will make our planet much better.”

— Nikita (from one of the letters sent to Zangemann)

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 editors, Ana and Tommi

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The FSFE at the 37C3: Unlocked

10. Januar 2024 um 23:00

The FSFE at the 37C3: Unlocked

The Free Software Foundation Europe, along with more than 10.000 hackers, took part in the 37th Chaos Communication Congress. It was a great pleasure to be back in Hamburg and to join the Chaos family for another amazing four-day congress. Thank you all for coming and participating in the Chaos!

At the end of 2023, the Chaos Communication Congress returned as an in-person event at the Congress Centre Hamburg. This renowned annual gathering is one of the most important technology conferences, not only in Europe but also worldwide. It brings together developers, technical experts, civil society advocates, and individuals passionate about building a better society.

The FSFE was once again part of the Bits & Bäume assembly, where we had our booth to spread the word about Free Software, our work, and our activities. Here we were surrounded by our t-shirts, socks, books, and stickers. Many familiar faces visited the booth, either to refill their stickers or get one of our new shirts. However, as always at the Chaos events, many new people also stopped by to learn more about our work and Free Software in general. It was wonderful to have so many well-prepared volunteers and staff members with us who were able to answer all questions or direct them to the right people. Thank you all for your great support at the booth!

The FSFE was also represented with two workshops, two lighting talks, an ‘Ada & Zangemann’ reading, and a puzzle session. At the Bits & Bäume assembly we had a great and busy workshop area, which was opened by Tobias Diekershoff with a session on the REUSE tool. Over 25 people attended this workshop, a third of them with previous knowledge of the tool and even great ideas for future development, and others who had their first contact with REUSE.

Our second workshop was also hosted by Tobias Diekershoff, who, for the first time, talked about how to run an NGO on Free Software. This workshop was attended by an audience of around 40 people, including many NGO representatives who wanted to learn how to integrate more Free Software into their daily work. As shown in the following discussion, not all of them had previous knowledge of Free Software, so they asked for more documentation on the subject and examples of tools to be used for managing their daily tasks and communication.

Both lightning talks, “Youth Hacking 4 Freedom” by Bonnie Mehring and “The Free Software Foundation Europe” by Ana Galán, went quite well. Lightning talks usually attract a larger crowd at the Chaos Communication Congress, so it was no surprise that the hall was packed with hundreds of people. It was a great pleasure to reach out to so many people and introduce them to the FSFE and our activities.

Bonnie Mehring presenting the FSFE’s programming competition “Youth Hacking 4 Freedom” at the 37C3

Of course, we also had a reading of our well-known story 'Ada & Zangemann'. Bonnie Mehring had a pleasant time reading the book to a lot of kids at the Bits & Bäume workshop space. As in previous sessions led by Bonnie Mehring, the session ended with a warm discussion about our favourite ice cream. It was fun to connect with the youngest participants about Free Software.

All in all, attending the Chaos Communication Congress was a great experience for our team, as we also had time to attend several talks, widen our network, enjoy being an “angel” helping with congress tasks, and have fun while spreading the word about software freedom. It really is worth a visit for everyone. It is not your usual conference but it is much more than that. We can’t wait to see you at the next Chaos events!

Stay tuned and subscribe to our information updates and follow us on peertube.

Support FSFE

Are you ready for ‘I Love Free Software Day’ 2024?

08. Januar 2024 um 23:00

Are you ready for ‘I Love Free Software Day’ 2024?

Every year, on 14 February, the FSFE, together with Free Software organisations around the globe, celebrates “I Love Free Software Day”: a special day of appreciation to all the contributors to Free Software projects, large or small.

As Free Software powers the tools we use every day, we want to create an occasion to celebrate the ones making it happen! Whether they are developers, system administrators, community moderators, reviewers, enthusiasts, there are many incredibly passionate people working behind the scenes to make the world a better place, one string at a time.

We celebrate those who advocate for Free Software and those who support it in any other way, and we show our appreciation to the countless contributors to software freedom. We also take this opportunity to promote Free Software, software that is free to use, to understand, to improve, and to share.

We strongly believe that the Free Software communities are a friendly and welcoming place. We all strive to be excellent to each other! On the “I Love Free Software Day” we share our appreciation and love for Free Software with those around us. A simple “Thank you” motivates others to keep contributing, encourage new people to join, and form a friendly and welcoming community. A simple “Thank you” is enough to share your appreciation for Free Software and its contributors. Join the “I Love Free Software Day 2024: Forging the future with Free Software” and share your appreciation for Free Software.

For the “I Love Free Software Day 2024: Forging the future with Free Software”, we want to focus on engaging the young generation in Free Software as they are the ones who will shape the future. Therefore, we invite you to organise an event aimed at younger people to highlight their contributions to Free Software.

For more ideas on how to participate in the upcoming “I Love Free Software Day 2024: Forging the future with Free Software”, here are some suggestions:

  • create a short video with a “Thank You” message to your favourite Free Software project. You can then share it via your preferred social media channel with the hashtag #ilovefs.
  • With our Sharepic Generator, create a Sharepic of yourself and include a personal “Thank You” message. Then you can share it on social media using the hashtag #ilovefs.
  • Organise a local get-together with your colleagues, friends, or family to celebrate and recognize the work of the contributors of Free Software. Maybe there is also an FSFE local group close to you so you can reach them.
  • Order, for free, some ilovefs stickers and posters!
  • Take pictures and share them on social media with #ilovefs.
  • Order, for free, some ilovefs postcards to send to your favourite Free Software project or contributor!
  • Share your knowledge about Free Software and spread the word about the four freedoms: Use, Understand, Share, and Improve.
  • For more information, ideas, and inspiration check out the I Love Free Software activity page!

The “I Love Free Software Day” is an important tradition for the Free Software community. The more that people participate in this day, the more we can show how important Free Software contributors and developers are to our society. Take a few moments on Wednesday, 14 February, to show your love for Free Software!

And, please do not hesitate to contact us if you need any more information or any help!

Support FSFE

SFP#23: What is Free Software? A Christmas podcast to learn about Free Software

24. Dezember 2023 um 23:00

SFP#23: What is Free Software? A Christmas podcast to learn about Free Software

These days are quite special, right? So is our Christmas Software Freedom Podcast episode! In this 23rd episode, the FSFE goes crazy and has fun playing a guessing game with terms related to Free Software. This is the perfect episode for you to learn more about your favourite type of software: Free Software!

Our podcast host, Bonnie Mehring meets with Matthias Kirschner, the FSFE's President, Gabriel Ku Wei Bin, member of the FSFE's legal team, and Tobias Diekershof, the FSFE's System Administrator, to play a little guessing game about Free Software basic terms.

This episode has something for everybody, no matter if you are already part of the Free Software universe or if you just arrived in this world. It is the perfect episode to learn more about Free Software. Share this episode with your family so they finally understand what you are talking about, when you talk about GNU 😉.

And do not forget to stop the audio and have a guess yourself! ♥♥♥

Show notes

If you liked this episode and want to support our continuous work for software freedom, please help us with a donation.

Support FSFE

Keine Blockade der Freiheit von Nutzenden: das Recht, Werbeblocker zu nutzen

19. Dezember 2023 um 23:00

Keine Blockade der Freiheit von Nutzenden: das Recht, Werbeblocker zu nutzen

Unternehmen versuchen zunehmend zu kontrollieren, wie Nutzer:innen mit ihren Online-Inhalten interagieren und gehen deshalb gegen Browsererweiterungen und andere Software vor, die von Internetnutzer:innen für ein individuell angepasstes Nutzer:innenerlebnis eingesetzt werden. Zwei aktuelle deutsche Gerichtsverfahren zu Adblockern könnten die rechtliche Position der Nutzenden stärken.

CC-BY-NC-SA by Rahak

Werbung ist ein Teil unseres Lebens, auch unseres digitalen Lebens. Sie findet sich in den Websites die wir aufrufen, in den Suchergebnissen die wir erhalten und in den Online-Nachrichten die wir lesen. Manche Nutzer:innen sind es leid, so viel Werbung zu sehen und versuchen sie zu vermeiden, indem sie einen Adblocker installieren. Aber ist dieses Vorgehen legal? Stellt die Nutzung von Werbeblockern eine Einschränkung der Marktautonomie dar, oder trägt sie zur Freiheit der Nutzenden bei?

Stellen Sie sich ein Szenario vor, in dem die Inhabenden von Websites das Urheberrecht an ihren Websites, einschließlich der von ihnen geschalteten Anzeigen, besitzen und folglich Nutzende, die beim Besuch dieser Websites Anzeigen entfernen oder unterdrücken, erfolgreich wegen Verletzung des Urheberrechts verklagen könnten. Diese hypothetische Situation würde es jedem Urheberrechtsinhabenden einer Website ermöglichen, das Rechtssystem zu nutzen, um jeden normalen Internetnutzenden zu stoppen, der versucht, die Werbung zu umgehen. Dies würde im Wesentlichen zu einem geschlossenen Internet führen, in dem den Nutzer:innen unaufgeforderte Informationen und Werbung aufgezwungen werden. Glücklicherweise haben jüngste Gerichtsentscheidungen zumindest verhindert, dass diese Vorstellung in Deutschland Realität wird.

Ist es legal, Werbeblocker zu nutzen? Der Rechtsstreit

Die Verwendung eines Adblockers ist der gängige Weg, mit dem viele Internetnutzende Werbung und Pop-ups beim Zugriff auf Websites umgehen. Adblocker werden in der Regel in Form von Browsererweiterungen und Plugins angeboten, die unerwünschte Werbung herausfiltern und so ein werbefreies Surfen im Internet ermöglichen.

Da die Nutzung dieser Adblocker zunimmt, haben einige Unternehmen begonnen, darüber nachzudenken, ob es legal ist, wenn Nutzer:innen ihre Werbung blockieren. Dies war in Deutschland der Fall, als die Axel Springer SE (Axel Springer), eines der größten deutschen Verlagsunternehmen, gegen die Eyeo GmbH (Eyeo), den Entwickler:innen von Adblock Plus (ein freies, unter der GPLv3 lizenziertes Adblocking-Tool), klagten. Diese Klagen haben zu einem juristischen Kampf für die Freiheit der Nutzenden und ein offenes Internet geführt.

Im Fall von Adblock Plus werden Anzeigen nach Filterregeln blockiert, die in einer sogenannten "schwarzen Liste" geführt werden, die die Nutzer:innen als Standardeinstellung verwenden. Die Erweiterung bietet Werbeanbietenden die Möglichkeit, ihre Werbung von dieser schwarzen Liste zu streichen (und in eine "weiße Liste" aufzunehmen), indem sie "akzeptable Werbestandards" einhalten, ihren Jahresumsatz offenlegen und einen Betrag an Eyeo zahlen. Die Nutzenden sehen nur Anzeigen, die in die Whitelist aufgenommen wurden, haben aber auch die Möglichkeit, sämtliche Anzeigen sowohl von der Whitelist als auch von der Blacklist zu blockieren.

>Axel Springer hat in Deutschland mehrere Klagen gegen Eyeo eingereicht mit der Begründung, dass die Adblock Plus-Erweiterung in ihre Geschäfte eingreife und Eyeo durch das Blockieren von Werbung wettbewerbswidrige Maßnahmen ergriffen habe. Nach Ansicht von Axel Springer stellt das Geschäftsmodell von Eyeo:

  1. eine gezielte Behinderung und aggressive Geschäftspraxis dar; sowie
  2. eine Verletzung der Pressefreiheit.

Das Recht, keine Werbung zu erhalten

Nachdem die Gerichte in Deutschland entschieden hatten, dass Internetnutzer:innen die Möglichkeit haben sollten, sich für den Einsatz von Adblockern zu entscheiden, brachten sie zum Ausdruck, dass die Rechte der Nutzenden nicht nur die Freiheit der Meinungsäußerung und des Empfangs von Informationen umfassen, sondern auch das Recht, eine Meinungsäußerung zu unterlassen und den Empfang aufgezwungener Informationen abzulehnen. Das Urteil erachtete es somit als im Interesse der Nutzenden, von aufdringlicher Werbung verschont zu bleiben.

Demnach machen Internetnutzer:innen mit der Nutzung eines Adblockers lediglich von ihrem Recht Gebrauch, beim Besuch von Internetseiten bestimmte Formen von Werbung nicht angezeigt zu bekommen. Bei dem Geschäftsmodell von Adblock Plus handele es sich daher um ein marktfähiges Dienstleistungsangebot, das nicht in erster Linie auf eine Beeinträchtigung der wettbewerblichen Entwicklung von Axel Springer abziele. Nach Ansicht des Gerichts greift Adblock Plus auch nicht unmittelbar in den Geschäftsbetrieb ein, da die Nutzenden nach der Installation des Add-ons weiterhin frei in der Wahl ihrer Einstellungen bleiben. Die Nutzer:innen können die Werbung blockieren oder nur die in der Whitelist aufgeführten Anzeigen sehen. Adblock Plus ist also lediglich ein Produkt, über dessen Verwendung ausschließlich der Internetnutzende entscheidet.

Das HTML-Argument: Stellt die Verwendung von Adblockern eine Veränderung eines Computerprogramms dar?

Axel Springer brachte vor dem deutschen Gericht auch das Argument vor, dass ihre Websites nach dem deutschen Urheberrecht als urheberrechtlich geschütztes Computerprogramm geschützt seien und dass ihr HTML-Code aufgrund der darin enthaltenen Steuerungskomponenten ebenfalls in diesen Geltungsbereich falle. Aufgrund der Art und Weise, wie Adblock Plus mit ihrer Website interagiert, machte Axel Springer daher geltend, dass Kopien und Anpassungen des Codes auf ihrer Website unerlaubt vorgenommene Urheberrechtsverletzungen darstellen.

Sowohl in der ersten Entscheidung als auch in der anschließenden Berufung zugunsten von Eyeo folgte das Gericht der Auffassung von Axel Springer nicht, sondern stellte fest, dass die Verwendung von Adblock Plus lediglich den Programmablauf durch externe Befehle beeinflusst, ohne das Programm in seinem Wesen zu verändern oder eine veränderte Version zu erzeugen. Die Nutzung der Erweiterung führe daher zu einer bloßen Konfiguration des Browsers durch den Nutzenden entsprechend der eigenen Präferenzen.

Das Gericht wies darauf hin, dass Internetnutzer:innen keine Erlaubnis von Website-Besitzenden benötigen, wenn sie die Website für sich selbst besser aussehen lassen wollen. Moderne Websites bestehen aus vielen separaten Teilen, die technisch voneinander unterschieden werden können, darunter Text, Bilder, Videos sowie Software, die in die HTML-Seite eingebettet ist. Für die Gerichte reichte die Tatsache, dass diese Softwarekomponenten in der HTML-Seite der Website verwendet wurden, nicht aus um dadurch die Website selbst zu einem schutzfähigen Computerprogramm zu machen. Daraus lässt sich ableiten, dass Adblocker nicht gegen den urheberrechtlichen Schutz eines Programms verstoßen.

Nachteile des Falles

Dennoch sind einige Aspekte der Urteile immer noch nicht ideal im Hinblick auf eine Stärkung der Rechte der durchschnittlichen Nutzer:innen. Während Nutzende die Freiheit haben einen aktiviterten Adblocker zuverwenden, hat das Gericht dennoch das Recht von Axel Springer gewahrt, Nutzende mit einem aktivierten Adblocker vom Zugriff auf seine Inhalte auszuschließen. Dies kann als Zustimmung zum Einsatz von Adblocker-Erkennungstools durch Unternehmen wie Axel Springer verstanden werden.

Leider erwähnte das Gericht auch, dass Axel Springer seine Inhalte in ein kostenpflichtiges Zugangsmodell umwandeln kann, und rechtfertigte diese Maßnahme als ein dem Wettbewerb innewohnendes Element. Wir befürchten, dass diese stillschweigende Zustimmung dazu führen kann, dass Paywalls und Adblock-Erkennungstools zum Grundstandard im Internet werden.

Noch wichtiger ist, dass Tools zur Erkennung von Adblockern gegenArt. 5(3) der Datenschutzrichtlinie für elektronische Kommunikation verstossen. Dieser besagt, dass Websites vor dem Zugriff auf oder der Speicherung von Informationen über das Gerät eines Nutzenden dessen Zustimmung einholen müssen. Die EU-Kommission bestätigte, dass sich Artikel 5 (3) der Datenschutzrichtlinie für elektronische Kommunikation nicht nur auf Cookies beschränkt, sondern auf "alle Arten von Informationen" die auf dem Endgerät der Nutzenden gespeichert oder abgerufen werden. Dies beinhaltet auch die Speicherung von Skripten auf den Endgeräten durch Websites, um festzustellen, ob die Nutzer:innen Adblocker verwenden.

Ein Gewinn für die Freiheit der Endnutzer:innen?

Angesichts der Tatsache, dass viele Anbieter von Diensten und Websites im Internet dazu übergehen, den Zugang zu ihren Diensten für Adblocker zu beschränken, tragen diese Gerichtsentscheidungen in Deutschland zur Schaffung von Präzedenzfällen bei, die die Grundsätze der Freiheit von Nutzenden aufrechterhalten und anerkennen.

In der Tat unterstützen diese Entscheidungen die Grundsätze des Next Generation Internet (NGI). Einschließlich der Sicherheit, dass Internetnutzer:innen individuelle Entscheidungen treffen und ihr Recht auf freie Meinungsäußerung ausüben können, indem sie neue Erweiterungen und Browserfunktionen frei entwickeln und nutzen, um ihr Online-Erlebnis und ihre Kontrolle zu verbessern.

Trotz der Verbesserungen für die Kontrolle durch die Nutzenden, die in dem Urteil zu erkennen sind, gehen diese nicht so weit, wie wir es uns wünschen würden. Insbesondere um die Freiheit der Nutzenden beim Zugriff auf das World Wide Web zu gewährleisten. Ausserdem sind sie noch Gegenstand von Berufungen und daher möglicherweise nicht endgültig. Wir werden die Gerichtsverfahren in diesem Rechtsstreit im Auge behalten und Sie auf dem Laufenden halten, wenn es neue Entwicklungen gibt. In der Zwischenzeit können die Gerichtsverfahren auf den Websites des Bundesgerichtshofs und des Landesgerichts nachgelesen werden. Wenn Sie von ähnlichen Fällen oder Entwicklungen zur Förderung der Nutzer:innenfreiheit in anderen EU-Mitgliedstaaten wissen, teilen Sie uns diese bitte mit und kontaktieren Sie uns!

Support FSFE

Das Tech-Wiki für Routerfreiheit ist jetzt online!

13. Dezember 2023 um 23:00

Das Tech-Wiki für Routerfreiheit ist jetzt online!

In den letzten Jahren haben wir uns auf die politischen und juristischen Aspekte der Routerfreiheit konzentriert. Mit der Unterstützung des niederländischen Freiwilligenteams veröffentlichen wir nun ein "Tech-Wiki Routerfreiheit", mit Informationen über die nötigen Schritte um einen eigenen Router zu nutzen. Damit wir es auch drucken können, brauchen wir deine Hilfe!

Die FSFE hat ihre Anstrengungen in den letzten Jahren auf eine europaweite Initiative zur Verteidigung der Rechte und Interessen der Endnutzer:innen im Hinblick auf die Routerfreiheit konzentriert, in Reaktion auf eine Reihe von Reformen in der EU-Gesetzgebung welche internetfähige Geräte und Endgeräte betreffen. Zahlreiche Berichte, Strategiepapiere, Pressemitteilungen und Studien zum Thema wurden veröffentlicht, so dass Regulatoren und Gesetzgeber in ganz Europa informierte Entscheidungen treffen konnten um das Grundrecht auf Netzneutralität zu schützen.

Wir halfen ausserdem Menschen dabei, aktiv zu werden, indem wir belastbare Materialien für politisches Engagement zur Verfügung stellten, wie z.B. das Routerfreiheit Wiki und ein Handbuch mit den wichtigsten Informationen zur Freiheit von Endgeräten. Ausserdem waren wir erfolgreich an mehreren Gesetzgebungsverfahren beteiligt, durch welche die Routerfreiheit in EU-Mitgliedsstaaten eingeführt wurde.

Allerdings fehlte uns bisher eine praktische Anleitung für technisch interessierte Menschen, die den von ihrem Internetprovider (ISP) zur Verfügung gestellten Router austauschen möchten; eine Hilfestellung auf dem (manchmal nicht ganz einfachen) Weg zur Installation eines eigenen, persönlichen Routers zuhause. Wir präsentieren: das neue Tech-Wiki Routerfreiheit, zusammengestellt von unserem niederländischen Freiwilligenteam!

Basiswissen um einen eigenen Router zu nutzen

Das Tech-Wiki Routerfreiheit begleitet dich auf dem Weg zur Routerfreiheit. Es ist so allgemein wie möglich gehalten um möglichst viele Situationen abzudecken, denn unterschiedliche Länder haben unterschiedliche gesetzliche Vorschriften, und die Internetprovider (ISP) unterscheiden sich in ihrer Unternehmenspolitik und stellen unterschiedliche Informationen zur Verfügung. Schliesslich beinflusst auch das jeweilige Modem bzw. der Router, welche Möglichkeiten du hast.

Das Tech-Wiki Routerfreiheit stellt dir Basisinformationen zur Verfügung wie du deinen eigenen Router verwenden kannst.

Dieses Wiki hilft dir dabei, das vom Internetprovider (ISP) zur Verfügung gestellte Gerät (Modem oder Router) durch dein eigenes zu ersetzen. Die meisten vom ISP bereitgestellten Geräte können im "Bridge-Modus" betrieben werden, so dass du für dein lokales Netzwerk deinen eigenen Router verwenden kannst. Zwar kannst du auf diese Weise dein Heimnetzwerk vom ISP trennen, allerdings benötigst du so zwei Geräte, wo eigentlich eines genügen sollte.

Wir freuen uns über deine Rückmeldung, über deine Erfahrungen und Informationen darüber, wie du es geschafft hast, deinen Router einzurichten. Du bist herzlich eingeladen das Wiki zu nutzen und zu verbessern! Wenn du bereits deinen eigenen Router verwendest kannst du auch die Kommentarfunktion nutzen um deine Erfahrungen mitzuteilen, oder verwende in den Sozialen Medien den Hashtag #RouterFreedom.

Hilf uns, die Botschaft von der Routerfreiheit zu verbreiten!

Da verschiedene Länder offiziell die Möglichkeit geschaffen haben, dass Nutzer:innen ihre eigenen Router verwenden, möchten wir die Menschen dazu ermuntern, den Versuch zu wagen und diese Freiheit auch zu nutzen. Wir brauchen deine Hilfe um Materialien zu entwerfen, zu veröffentlichen und zu drucken, die wir an Infoständen und bei anderen Veranstaltungen verteilen können. Mit deiner Hilfe können sich viele Menschen über die Nutzung des eigenen Routers informieren und sich darüber austauschen können.

  • Flyer: Wenn wir 3.000€ zusammenbekommen, können wir damit die Kosten für Entwurf und Druck eines neuen Infoflyers decken, mit einer klaren, intuitiven Darstellung des Entscheidungsbaums und den Basisinformationen zur Routerfreiheit. Wie alle unsere Infomaterialien wird er unter einer Freien Lizenz auf unserer Website zur Verfügung stehen.
  • Sticker: Wusstest du, dass du als Dankeschön für deine Unterstützung kostenlos unseren Routerfreiheit Sticker bestellen kannst, um dein befreites Modem oder deinen Router damit zu schmücken?

Die Initiative für Routerfreiheit

Routerfreiheit bedeutet, dass die Nutzer:innen jedes Internetproviders (ISP) das Recht haben, eigene Router/Modems anstelle vom ISP bereitgestellter Geräte zu verwenden. Seit 2013 hat sich die Free Software Foundation Europe erfolgreich für Routerfreiheit eingesetzt und die Freiheit der Endnutzer:innen in vielen europäischen Ländern vorangebracht. Mach mit und erfahre mehr über die verschiedenen Möglichkeiten dich einzubringen.

Support FSFE

Das Tech-Wiki für Routerfreiheit ist jetzt online!

13. Dezember 2023 um 23:00

Das Tech-Wiki für Routerfreiheit ist jetzt online!

In den letzten Jahren haben wir uns auf die politischen und juristischen Aspekte der Routerfreiheit konzentriert. Mit der Unterstützung des niederländischen Freiwilligenteams veröffentlichen wir nun ein "Tech-Wiki Routerfreiheit", mit Informationen über die nötigen Schritte um einen eigenen Router zu nutzen. Damit wir es auch drucken können, brauchen wir deine Hilfe!

Die FSFE hat ihre Anstrengungen in den letzten Jahren auf eine europaweite Initiative zur Verteidigung der Rechte und Interessen der Endnutzer:innen im Hinblick auf die Routerfreiheit konzentriert, in Reaktion auf eine Reihe von Reformen in der EU-Gesetzgebung welche internetfähige Geräte und Endgeräte betreffen. Zahlreiche Berichte, Strategiepapiere, Pressemitteilungen und Studien zum Thema wurden veröffentlicht, so dass Regulatoren und Gesetzgeber in ganz Europa informierte Entscheidungen treffen konnten um das Grundrecht auf Netzneutralität zu schützen.

Wir halfen ausserdem Menschen dabei, aktiv zu werden, indem wir belastbare Materialien für politisches Engagement zur Verfügung stellten, wie z.B. das Routerfreiheit Wiki und ein Handbuch mit den wichtigsten Informationen zur Freiheit von Endgeräten. Ausserdem waren wir erfolgreich an mehreren Gesetzgebungsverfahren beteiligt, durch welche die Routerfreiheit in EU-Mitgliedsstaaten eingeführt wurde.

Allerdings fehlte uns bisher eine praktische Anleitung für technisch interessierte Menschen, die den von ihrem Internetprovider (ISP) zur Verfügung gestellten Router austauschen möchten; eine Hilfestellung auf dem (manchmal nicht ganz einfachen) Weg zur Installation eines eigenen, persönlichen Routers zuhause. Wir präsentieren: das neue Tech-Wiki Routerfreiheit, zusammengestellt von unserem niederländischen Freiwilligenteam!

Basiswissen um einen eigenen Router zu nutzen

Das Tech-Wiki Routerfreiheit begleitet dich auf dem Weg zur Routerfreiheit. Es ist so allgemein wie möglich gehalten um möglichst viele Situationen abzudecken, denn unterschiedliche Länder haben unterschiedliche gesetzliche Vorschriften, und die Internetprovider (ISP) unterscheiden sich in ihrer Unternehmenspolitik und stellen unterschiedliche Informationen zur Verfügung. Schliesslich beinflusst auch das jeweilige Modem bzw. der Router, welche Möglichkeiten du hast.

Das Tech-Wiki Routerfreiheit stellt dir Basisinformationen zur Verfügung wie du deinen eigenen Router verwenden kannst.

Dieses Wiki hilft dir dabei, das vom Internetprovider (ISP) zur Verfügung gestellte Gerät (Modem oder Router) durch dein eigenes zu ersetzen. Die meisten vom ISP bereitgestellten Geräte können im "Bridge-Modus" betrieben werden, so dass du für dein lokales Netzwerk deinen eigenen Router verwenden kannst. Zwar kannst du auf diese Weise dein Heimnetzwerk vom ISP trennen, allerdings benötigst du so zwei Geräte, wo eigentlich eines genügen sollte.

Wir freuen uns über deine Rückmeldung, über deine Erfahrungen und Informationen darüber, wie du es geschafft hast, deinen Router einzurichten. Du bist herzlich eingeladen das Wiki zu nutzen und zu verbessern! Wenn du bereits deinen eigenen Router verwendest kannst du auch die Kommentarfunktion nutzen um deine Erfahrungen mitzuteilen, oder verwende in den Sozialen Medien den Hashtag #RouterFreedom.

Hilf uns, die Botschaft von der Routerfreiheit zu verbreiten!

Da verschiedene Länder offiziell die Möglichkeit geschaffen haben, dass Nutzer:innen ihre eigenen Router verwenden, möchten wir die Menschen dazu ermuntern, den Versuch zu wagen und diese Freiheit auch zu nutzen. Wir brauchen deine Hilfe um Materialien zu entwerfen, zu veröffentlichen und zu drucken, die wir an Infoständen und bei anderen Veranstaltungen verteilen können. Mit deiner Hilfe können sich viele Menschen über die Nutzung des eigenen Routers informieren und sich darüber austauschen können.

  • Flyer: Wenn wir 3.000€ zusammenbekommen, können wir damit die Kosten für Entwurf und Druck eines neuen Infoflyers decken, mit einer klaren, intuitiven Darstellung des Entscheidungsbaums und den Basisinformationen zur Routerfreiheit. Wie alle unsere Infomaterialien wird er unter einer Freien Lizenz auf unserer Website zur Verfügung stehen.
  • Sticker: Wusstest du, dass du als Dankeschön für deine Unterstützung kostenlos unseren Routerfreiheit Sticker bestellen kannst, um dein befreites Modem oder deinen Router damit zu schmücken?

Die Initiative für Routerfreiheit

Routerfreiheit bedeutet, dass die Nutzer:innen jedes Internetproviders (ISP) das Recht haben, eigene Router/Modems anstelle vom ISP bereitgestellter Geräte zu verwenden. Seit 2013 hat sich die Free Software Foundation Europe erfolgreich für Routerfreiheit eingesetzt und die Freiheit der Endnutzer:innen in vielen europäischen Ländern vorangebracht. Mach mit und erfahre mehr über die verschiedenen Möglichkeiten dich einzubringen.

Support FSFE

The FSFE is looking for a policy intern

10. Dezember 2023 um 23:00

The FSFE is looking for a policy intern

We are looking for a motivated intern to support the FSFE’s policy activities and contribute to our work to empower people to control technology. The person will work 35 hours per week with our team in the FSFE Berlin office for a period of six months.

About the FSFE

The Free Software Foundation Europe is a charity that empowers users to control technology. Software is deeply involved in all aspects of our lives and it is important that technology empowers rather than restricts us. Free Software gives everybody the right to use, understand, adapt, and share software. These rights help support other fundamental freedoms like freedom of speech, press, and privacy.

The FSFE helps individuals and organisations to understand how Free Software contributes to freedom, transparency, and self-determination. It enhances users’ rights by abolishing barriers to Free Software adoption, encourages people to use and develop Free Software, and provides resources to enable everyone to further promote Free Software in Europe.

The FSFE is involved in many activities in the legal, economic, political, and technical areas around Free Software. This work is made possible by a community of volunteers, supporters, donors, and staff.

We are looking for an intern

We are looking for a reliable and driven intern for our policy team. You will support the FSFE’s activities and work closely with our team. We will make sure to offer our interns the opportunity to learn about Free Software and while supporting carrying out advocacy activities, the person will also be able to meet and work with our vibrant community across Europe. This position will take place in our FSFE Berlin office, 35 hours per week for a six month period.

Read more about our internships and what former interns say about it.

Main responsibilities

  • Support FSFE policy projects like Public Money? Public Code!
  • Conduct background research in the fields of politics, administrations, and economy
  • Assist our policy team with formulating policy positions on various issues
  • Communicate with contacts from the FSFE community, NGOs, industry, and public administrations
  • Work together with volunteers in various projects
  • You will participate and help organising events around Europe
  • General office tasks

Qualifications

  • Background in political or social science, or related field
  • A knowledge of the EU legislative process is an advantage
  • Excellent spoken and written English, other European languages are considered an asset

Attitude

We are looking for a reliable and well-organised team player who cares about social and political change for the next generations and is interested in acquiring practical experience by learning from our different policy activities.

How to apply

To apply, please send a maximum one-page cover letter and a maximum two-page CV in PDF format by email to interns@fsfe.org, with the subject “Intern position”. Please do not include pictures of yourself in the application. There is no immediate closing date for submitting applications, but we recommend to apply as early as possible as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please indicate your possible starting date.

The position is for a period of 6 months, full time at 35 hours per week, starting as agreed. The location of the internship is Berlin, Germany. Therefore you will be required to show that you can legally work in Germany -- either by being an EU citizen or by having a residence and work permit for the duration. The internship is compensated according to the German minimum wage. Your personal data will be deleted 3 months after we have made our decision.

Free Software is meant to serve everyone regardless of their age, ability or disability, gender identity, sex, race, nationality, religion, or sexual orientation. Hence, we encourage applications from all backgrounds and promise to judge all applications on merit, without reference to any of the characteristics listed. To promote diversity and equality in the Free Software community, we shall give preference between applications of equal strength to applicants who identify as part of a traditionally marginalised demographic in technology.

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