"The FSFE had the most impactful intervention in the EU’s highest court”
Our headline quotes a European Commission enforcement officer during a
court hearing in a key case where the FSFE is intervening against
Apple. As explained below, strategic litigation is one of many actions
FSFE takes to protect Free Software. Our goal is simple: empowering
people to control technology.

Wherever policies, legislation and regulation are being shaped, in
meetings, hearings and expert discussions, we are there to make sure
that Free Software is not just mentioned, but truly understood and
defended. To provide a glimpse of our achievements, just in 2024 and
2025:
- We held 20+ presentations, workshops, talks and panels in Europe and
beyond;
- We had 10+ expert meetings with the European Commission, telecom
regulators and other authorities;
- We submitted 9 legal and technical reports to policy makers;
- We launched the
DMA interoperability survey to collect real-world
experiences from software developers requesting interoperability from
gatekeeper companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft.
This work is effective and far-reaching: some weeks ago, the FSFE represented the interests of
Free Software developers during the Apple
vs European Commission case hearing. This is a pivotal case involving
the legality of interoperability. Apple is claiming that granting
free-of-charge interoperability to developers infringes its “human
rights”. We came to the EU’s highest court in Luxembourg to prove them
wrong.
Imagine the scene in the courtroom: Apple with more than ten lawyers on
one side, and on the other, alone, the FSFE’s lawyer, Dr. Martin
Husovec, and me in the audience. With clear and deep expertise, he
reminded the Court that innovation does not exempt a company from
democratic regulation, and that Apple’s ecosystem is built not only by
the company, but also by the developers and users who depend on
interoperability and freedom to install software. After the hearing,
representatives from the Commission, Parliament, industry and academia
approached us to commend our intervention
However, travelling to meetings and conferences, enabling developers to
participate in regulatory discussions, and preparing in-depth legal and
technical reports require significant resources. These include practical
costs such as travel and accommodation, as well as the time and
expertise needed to carry out thorough research and analysis. Two days
in Luxembourg exceed 2,000 euros in expenses for our team, and legal
work of this scale easily surpasses 10,000 euros.
That is why we need your support! To continue defending Free Software
and Device Neutrality where decisions are made.
Your support helps transform expert work into real political impact, and
ensures that Free Software voices cannot be ignored. Together, we can
secure a Europe where users truly control their devices.
Become a supporter now and contribute to fight for Free Software and
Device Neutrality in Europe.
I want to become an FSFE Supporter!
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