Join us at FOSDEM 2025!

FOSDEM 2025 is almost here, and guess what? We want you to be, once again, part of it! Mark your calendars for 1 and 2 February 2025. The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) will be there with a keynote on our Apple court case, talks, devrooms, workshops, and of course, a booth where you can meet us, chat and share ideas. Stop by and say hello!

As one of the most established Free Software conferences in Europe, FOSDEM hosts thousands of developers and Free Software enthusiasts every year, on the first weekend of February to meet, discuss the latest news and updates about Free Software, and collaborate. As always, the FSFE will be there with a booth, co-organizing two devrooms, and giving talks, like the one from our Legal Programme Manager, Lucas Lasota, at the main FOSDEM stage about ongoing legal battle to defend software freedom in the European Union. Come around and check out our latest merchandising, including hoodies, t-shirts, socks and get some stickers for your devices!

We are organising social gatherings throughout the weekend—stay in the loop, come by for a relaxed evening and great discussion while making interesting connections! Join our FOSDEM Matrix Chat Room and be up to date with all the information.

Friday, 31 January: Pre FOSDEM warming- up

We will start starting the party early! If you are already in Brussels on Friday, you can give us an extra hand in our booth set-up (please, if you can make it, contact us beforehand).

Once our booth is ready for Saturday, we will meet at La Mazzette at 19:00h., where we can have some drinks and some small treats. See in OpenStreetMap.

Saturday, 1 February: Legal & Policy Issues, fediverse and more!

We are early birds. From the moment the doors open, you will us at our booth, ready to welcome everyone. Come chat with our team about Free Software, learn more about our activities, and grab some stickers and postcards! Our booth is the best place to connect with us. You will find us in Building K, Level 2, Group A – Community Advocacy, Room 5. We look forward to seeing you there!

Saturday will feature the Legal and Policy Issues DevRoom, which we've been co-hosting since 2020. The devroom will take place from 10:30h., H.1301 Cornil. Once again, Matthias Kirschner (FSFE’s president) and Alexander Sander (FSFE Senior Policy Consultant), together with Karen Sandler and Bradley Kuhn (Software Freedom Conservancy), Tom Marble (Informatique, Inc.), and Richard Fontana (Red Hat) will be addressing key legal and policy issues related to Free Software. We anticipate an engaging and insightful discussion!

Lucas Lasota, FSFE Legal Programme Manager, will participate in the fireside chat titled “Breaking Tech Monopolies in Europe: A Fireside Chat with the European Commission”. Later, Alexander Sander, FSFE Senior Policy Consultant, will also participate with two talks: Legislative overlay: anticipating and navigating through regulatory vectors and CRA Q&A on Open Source Stewards under the Cyber Resilience Act.

Additionally, Tobias Diekershoff, FSFE’s System Hacker and core developer of the Friendica project, along with Michael Vogel, also a core member of the Friendica development team, will provide an concise introduction to Friendica that late afternoon.

• 09:00h - 19:00h. FSFE Booth Building K level 2. Group A - Community advocacy, 5.

• 10:30h - 19:00h. Legal & Policy Devroom: H.1301 (Cornil)

  • 10:30h - 10:35h. Welcome to the Legal and Policy Issues DevRoom
  • 15:30h - 15:55h. Breaking tech monopolies in Europe: A fireside chat with the European Commission
  • 17:00h - 17:25h. Legislative overlay: anticipating and navigating through regulatory vectors
  • 17:30h - 17:55h. CRA Q&A on Open Source Stewards under the Cyber Resilience Act
  • 18:00h - 19:00h. Organizer's Panel
• 18:00h - 18:30h. Friendica - under the radar since 2010. UA2.118 (Henriot)

After a long day, it is time to relax and continue our interesting discussions in an informal environment. Join us for dinner at L’Horloge du Sud at 19:00h. See in OpenStreetMap.

Sunday, 2 February: Join us for the keynote speech, Upcycling your Android workshop, YH4F...!

We are starting the day with an informal breakfast to meet and connect other QWLINTA*s (Queer, women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender) before kicking off another full day at FOSDEM. If you wish to join, please fill in this form.

While we prepare for keynote speech later this day, by our staffer Lucas Lasota who will talk about the FSFE intervention in the Apple vs. European Commission case, we have several talks and events beforehand.

One way is to start with the “FSFE’s Upcycling Android Workshop”, organized by Darragh Elliot, a former FSFE working student. If you ever wanted to try installing custom Android ROM’s, this workshop is for you! Demonstration phones will be available.

Also in the morning, Bonnie Mehring, FSFE’s Project Manager will explain our programming competition, Youth Hacking 4 Freedom, whose fourth edition is now open for registration! Youth Hacking 4 Freedom invites European teenagers aged 14 to 18 to showcase their creativity and programming skills. Participants will have the opportunity to bring their project ideas to life.

Sunday is also the day of the second devroom that the FSFE is co-organizing, a debuting one on funding the FOSS Ecosystem. Its aim? To bring together developers, maintainers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, donors and funders to explore various models and mechanisms for funding that ensure longevity and security of FOSS projects. Find the schedule here.

Just right after the closing of the Funding the FOSS Ecosystem devroom, run to FOSDEM main stage, Room Janson, where at 16:00h. Lucas Lasota, FSFE's Legal Programme Manager, will give a key speech about “How we are defending Software Freedom against Apple at the EU's highest court”. In this keynote, Lucas Lasota will explain why this case is pivotal for Free Software in Europe, and why we should all care.

The FSFE has been granted the right to intervene in the Apple vs European Commission case at the Court of Justice of the European Union, where Apple is trying to dodge its obligations as gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act.

• 09:00h - 17:00h. FSFE Booth. Building K level 2. Group A - Community advocacy, 5
• 09:00h - 10:00h. FSFE Upcycling Android Workshop BOF. AW1.121
• 09:10h - 09:35h. Youth Hacking 4 Freedom 2025. UD6.215
• 09:10h - 16:00h. Funding the FOSS Ecosystem. K.3.601
• 16:00h - 16:50h. Keynote Speech: How we are defending Software Freedom against Apple at the EU's highest court. Janson

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

As the weekend wraps up, join us for the final community gathering to say goodbye to FOSDEM 2025 in style.But first... after party packing! We hope to leave FOSDEM with as little merchandising as possible, but we’ll need some extra hands to help pack everything up on Sunday. If you can help us with booth tear down, please get in touch with our Office Assistant, Francesca, fi@fsfe.or. It’s always a challenge, but with a bit of teamwork, we’ll get it done in no time!

Once all is packed and tidy, it is time to meet at L'Ermitage Saint-Gilles at 19:00h. for a laid-back evening of conversation, drinks, and celebration. It’s a chance to unwind, meet new people, and reflect on the amazing time we’ve had. Here’s the OpenStreetMap link to find us!

See you there!

Support FSFE

Routerfreiheit in Deutschland: Ein Triumph für Nutzerinnen und Nutzer!

Als Reaktion auf einen gescheiterten Versuch von Internetanbietern, Glasfasernetze von der Routerfreiheit auszunehmen, hat die deutsche Bundesnetzagentur Routerfreiheit bestätigt. Die FSFE setzt sich seit 2013 für dieses Ziel ein und wird die Umsetzung und Einhaltung weiterhin überwachen.

Routerfreiheit ist das Recht, beliebige Router und Modem für den eigenen Internetzugang zu nutzen. Ähnlich wie die Wahl des Smartphones und anderer internetfähiger Geräte ist die Routerfreiheit der Hardware-Aspekt der Netzneutralität. Im Jahr 2013 begann die Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) in Zusammenarbeit mit anderen Organisationen, sich in Deutschland für diese Regulierung einzusetzen und sie bei Entscheidungsträgern voranzutreiben. Dies führte 2016 zu einem Gesetz, das die Routerfreiheit für Endnutzer sicherstellt.

Unmittelbar vor dem Jahrestag des Gesetzes, das 2016 die Routerfreiheit in Deutschland einführte, hat die Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA) ein von einem Verband der Glasfasernetzbetreiber in Deutschland beantragtes Regulierungsverfahren zum Ausschluss der Routerfreiheit von Glasfasernetzen erfolgreich abgeschlossen. Der Antrag aus dem Jahr 2023 stützte sich auf eine Reihe von Argumenten, darunter die Sicherheit des Netzes, die Kosten für den Support, die Qualität des Dienstes und Fragen der Interoperabilität.

Keine technische Notwendigkeit zur Begrenzung der Routerfreiheit in Glasfasernetzen

Im September 2023 legte die FSFE eine detaillierte Stellungnahme vor, die die Argumente der Glasfaserbetreiber entkräftete. Wir forderten die Regulierungsbehörde zur Ablehnung des Antrags auf, da kein rechtlicher oder technischer Grund eine Ausnahme für Glasfaseranschlüsse von Routerfreiheit rechtfertigen kann. Obwohl die Netzbetreiber versuchten, Glasfasernetze als Sonderfall darzustellen, konnten wir zeigen, dass es keine objektive technische Notwendigkeit gibt, Routerfreiheit abzuschaffen. Im Gegenteil bedeutet Routerfreiheit auch bei Glasfasernetzen Wahlfreiheit, Sicherheit, Verbraucherschutz, fairen Wettbewerb und Nachhaltigkeit.

Die deutsche Regulierungsbehörde hat den Fall unter Anwendung der vom GEREK, der europäischen Regulierungsbehörde für Telekommunikation, vorgeschlagenen Leitlinien zum Standort des „Netzabschlusspunktes“ (NTP) geprüft. Die Leitlinien zum NTP erlauben es den nationalen Behörden, die Routerfreiheit einzuschränken, wenn eine „objektive technische Notwendigkeit“ festgestellt werden kann. Zu den Kriterien dafür gehören Interoperabilität, Sicherheit, Einfachheit des Betriebs und Datenschutzfaktoren. Die deutschen Betreiber forderten die BNetzA auf, die Möglichkeit der Endnutzer, ihre eigenen Router auszuwählen, vollständig einzuschränken oder im schlimmsten Fall den Abschlusspunkt des Glasfaseranschlusses (ONT) abzutrennen, so dass eigene Router nur nur ohne Einsatz des integrierten Modems verwendet werden könnten, was sich ebenfalls negativ auf die Wahlmöglichkeiten der Verbraucher auswirken würde.

In ihrer umfangreichen Entscheidung wies die BNetzA alle von den Telekommunikationsbetreibern vorgebrachten Argumente zurück und erläuterte ausführlich, warum die Endgerätefreiheit jeden einzelnen der vom GEREK geforderten Kriterienfaktoren erfüllt. Wir möchten folgende Punkte hervorheben:

• Übertriebene Darstellung der Netzsicherheitsrisiken: Die BNetzA wies die Betreiber darauf hin, dass die Vergangenheit gezeigt habe, dass auch die proprietären Geräte der Betreiber Sicherheitslücken aufwiesen. Außerdem konnte in den neun Jahren seit Inkrafttreten des Gesetzes in Deutschland keine nennenswerte Anzahl von Sicherheitsvorfälle festgestellt werden. Die Betreiber versorgten die Geräte, die sie den Endnutzern zur Verfügung stellen, nur langsam mit Sicherheitsupdates, so dass eine Einschränkung der Routerfreiheit die Vermeidung von Sicherheitslücken nicht verbessern würde;
• Weit hergeholte Störszenarien: Die BNetzA stellte die weitreichenden Sicherheitsszenarien der Betreiber in Frage und kritisierte die mangelnde Objektivität der Berichte. Die von den Betreibern getroffenen Annahmen bezüglich Störungsszenarien seien für eine Einschränkung der Routerfreiheit nicht zu rechtfertigen;
• Fragwürdige Belege gegen die Interoperabilität: Die BNetzA bestätigte, dass sie nur sehr wenige Meldungen über Störungen aufgrund des Einsatzes von Routern der Nutzer und Nutzerinnen erhalten hat. Im Jahr 2016 gab es einen Fall, der jedoch ein Einzelfall blieb;
• Technikneutralität ist notwendig: Die Regulierungsbehörde bekräftigte eine Position der deutschen Regierung aus dem Jahr 2018 zur Wahrung der Technikneutralität in der Regulierung. Da verschiedene Arten von Routern und Modems auf dem Markt verfügbar sind, sollte die Gesetzgebung nicht bestimmte Technologien diskriminieren. Nur ein technikneutraler Ansatz gewährleistet die europarechtlich geforderte Endgerätefreiheit zum Vorteil der Endnutzer.

Ein Erfolg für langfristiges zivilgesellschaftliches Engagement

Der Einsatz der FSFE für die Router-Freiheit begann 2013, lange vor Inkrafttreten des deutschen Gesetzes, mit dem dieses Recht eingeführt wurde. Im Jahr 2019, während der Reform des EU-Telekommunikationsrechts, weiteten wir unsere Beühungen auf die europäische Ebene aus und arbeiteten mit europäischen Regulierungsbehörden zusammen. Die Routerfreiheit wurde in verschiedenen EU-Ländern zur Realität, darunter Finnland, Italien, Belgien und die Niederlande.

Bei all diesen Prozessen haben wir lokale Communities, Experten und Entscheidungsträger einbezogen, um die Rechte der Endnutzer zu schützen. Die Unterstützung durch die Community war der Schlüssel zu diesem Erfolg. So führte die FSFE beispielsweise ein zweijähriges Community-Projekt durch, um Daten über Missbräuche von Telekommunikationsbetreibern und andere Schwierigkeiten im Zusammenhang mit der Routerfreiheit zu sammeln. Die übergreifende Umfrage führte zu einem umfassenden Bericht, der 2023 veröffentlicht wurde und aufzeigt, wie Internet-Provider immer noch die Wahlfreiheit der Verbraucher behindern, Kontrolle über Internet-Geräte ausüben und proprietäre Geräte fördern.

Überall in Europa sprachen sich Nutzer dafür aus, dass wir uns für eine Regulierung einsetzen, die das Wahlfreiheit bei Routern und Modems schützt. Mehr als 90 % der Teilnehmer an unserer Umfrage stimmten zu, dass die Routerfreiheit der Schlüssel für ein offenes Internet, Sicherheit und Datenschutz, fairen Wettbewerb und digitale Nachhaltigkeit ist.

Erweitern wir Routerfreiheit auf andere Länder!

Da Routerfreiheit die Hardware-Ebene der Netzneutralität darstellt, ist sie eine wichtige politische Forderung.

Aus diesem Diagramm über die Anschlussarten und die Routernutzung geht hervor, dass die meisten DSL-Kunden zwar ihren eigenen Router verwenden, aber bei Glasfaser- und Koaxialanschlüssen immer noch auf die Geräte der Anbieter angewiesen sind.

Anders als in Deutschland ist Routerfreiheit in mehreren EU-Ländern noch immer keine Realität. In Ländern wie Österreich und Frankreich, die beschlossen haben, Routerfreiheit abzuschaffen, oder in Ländern wie Griechenland, die nicht in der Lage waren, sich vollständig für die Rechte der Endnutzer einzusetzen rights und Routerfreiheit nur für bestimmte Arten von Netzen zuließen, ist der Rechtsrahmen nach wie vor uneinheitlich.

Deshalb zählen wir auf Ihre Unterstützung. Es gibt noch viel zu tun. Geräteneutralität wird nicht nur von Internetdienstanbietern bedroht, sondern auch von Software- und Hardwareherstellern und -anbietern, die die Freiheiten und Rechte der Endnutzer nicht respektieren. Wir sind der festen Überzeugung, dass Softwarefreiheit der Standard sein sollte und Endnutzern keine Fesseln angelegt werden sollten. Technologieunternehmen sollten die Nutzer nicht in „Walled Gardens“ einsperren, die die Möglichkeiten ihrer Geräte einschränken.

Es ist an der Zeit, dass wir alle unsere Geräte, einschließlich Router und Modems, befreien. Helfen Sie uns mit einer Spende, dies in Europa zu erreichen!

Wir brauchen Ihre Unterstützung für unser langfristiges Engagement. Wir sind bereit, im nächsten Jahrzehnt für Routerfreiheit zu kämpfen. Schließen Sie sich jetzt unserer Sache an!

Werden Sie jetzt FSFE-Supporter!

Support FSFE

Routerfreiheit in Deutschland: Ein Triumph für Nutzerinnen und Nutzer!

Als Reaktion auf einen gescheiterten Versuch von Internetanbietern, Glasfasernetze von der Routerfreiheit auszunehmen, hat die deutsche Bundesnetzagentur Routerfreiheit bestätigt. Die FSFE setzt sich seit 2013 für dieses Ziel ein und wird die Umsetzung und Einhaltung weiterhin überwachen.

Routerfreiheit ist das Recht, beliebige Router und Modem für den eigenen Internetzugang zu nutzen. Ähnlich wie die Wahl des Smartphones und anderer internetfähiger Geräte ist die Routerfreiheit der Hardware-Aspekt der Netzneutralität. Im Jahr 2013 begann die Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) in Zusammenarbeit mit anderen Organisationen, sich in Deutschland für diese Regulierung einzusetzen und sie bei Entscheidungsträgern voranzutreiben. Dies führte 2016 zu einem Gesetz, das die Routerfreiheit für Endnutzer sicherstellt.

Unmittelbar vor dem Jahrestag des Gesetzes, das 2016 die Routerfreiheit in Deutschland einführte, hat die Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA) ein von einem Verband der Glasfasernetzbetreiber in Deutschland beantragtes Regulierungsverfahren zum Ausschluss der Routerfreiheit von Glasfasernetzen erfolgreich abgeschlossen. Der Antrag aus dem Jahr 2023 stützte sich auf eine Reihe von Argumenten, darunter die Sicherheit des Netzes, die Kosten für den Support, die Qualität des Dienstes und Fragen der Interoperabilität.

Keine technische Notwendigkeit zur Begrenzung der Routerfreiheit in Glasfasernetzen

Im September 2023 legte die FSFE eine detaillierte Stellungnahme vor, die die Argumente der Glasfaserbetreiber entkräftete. Wir forderten die Regulierungsbehörde zur Ablehnung des Antrags auf, da kein rechtlicher oder technischer Grund eine Ausnahme für Glasfaseranschlüsse von Routerfreiheit rechtfertigen kann. Obwohl die Netzbetreiber versuchten, Glasfasernetze als Sonderfall darzustellen, konnten wir zeigen, dass es keine objektive technische Notwendigkeit gibt, Routerfreiheit abzuschaffen. Im Gegenteil bedeutet Routerfreiheit auch bei Glasfasernetzen Wahlfreiheit, Sicherheit, Verbraucherschutz, fairen Wettbewerb und Nachhaltigkeit.

Die deutsche Regulierungsbehörde hat den Fall unter Anwendung der vom GEREK, der europäischen Regulierungsbehörde für Telekommunikation, vorgeschlagenen Leitlinien zum Standort des „Netzabschlusspunktes“ (NTP) geprüft. Die Leitlinien zum NTP erlauben es den nationalen Behörden, die Routerfreiheit einzuschränken, wenn eine „objektive technische Notwendigkeit“ festgestellt werden kann. Zu den Kriterien dafür gehören Interoperabilität, Sicherheit, Einfachheit des Betriebs und Datenschutzfaktoren. Die deutschen Betreiber forderten die BNetzA auf, die Möglichkeit der Endnutzer, ihre eigenen Router auszuwählen, vollständig einzuschränken oder im schlimmsten Fall den Abschlusspunkt des Glasfaseranschlusses (ONT) abzutrennen, so dass eigene Router nur nur ohne Einsatz des integrierten Modems verwendet werden könnten, was sich ebenfalls negativ auf die Wahlmöglichkeiten der Verbraucher auswirken würde.

In ihrer umfangreichen Entscheidung wies die BNetzA alle von den Telekommunikationsbetreibern vorgebrachten Argumente zurück und erläuterte ausführlich, warum die Endgerätefreiheit jeden einzelnen der vom GEREK geforderten Kriterienfaktoren erfüllt. Wir möchten folgende Punkte hervorheben:

• Übertriebene Darstellung der Netzsicherheitsrisiken: Die BNetzA wies die Betreiber darauf hin, dass die Vergangenheit gezeigt habe, dass auch die proprietären Geräte der Betreiber Sicherheitslücken aufwiesen. Außerdem konnte in den neun Jahren seit Inkrafttreten des Gesetzes in Deutschland keine nennenswerte Anzahl von Sicherheitsvorfälle festgestellt werden. Die Betreiber versorgten die Geräte, die sie den Endnutzern zur Verfügung stellen, nur langsam mit Sicherheitsupdates, so dass eine Einschränkung der Routerfreiheit die Vermeidung von Sicherheitslücken nicht verbessern würde;
• Weit hergeholte Störszenarien: Die BNetzA stellte die weitreichenden Sicherheitsszenarien der Betreiber in Frage und kritisierte die mangelnde Objektivität der Berichte. Die von den Betreibern getroffenen Annahmen bezüglich Störungsszenarien seien für eine Einschränkung der Routerfreiheit nicht zu rechtfertigen;
• Fragwürdige Belege gegen die Interoperabilität: Die BNetzA bestätigte, dass sie nur sehr wenige Meldungen über Störungen aufgrund des Einsatzes von Routern der Nutzer und Nutzerinnen erhalten hat. Im Jahr 2016 gab es einen Fall, der jedoch ein Einzelfall blieb;
• Technikneutralität ist notwendig: Die Regulierungsbehörde bekräftigte eine Position der deutschen Regierung aus dem Jahr 2018 zur Wahrung der Technikneutralität in der Regulierung. Da verschiedene Arten von Routern und Modems auf dem Markt verfügbar sind, sollte die Gesetzgebung nicht bestimmte Technologien diskriminieren. Nur ein technikneutraler Ansatz gewährleistet die europarechtlich geforderte Endgerätefreiheit zum Vorteil der Endnutzer.

Ein Erfolg für langfristiges zivilgesellschaftliches Engagement

Der Einsatz der FSFE für die Router-Freiheit begann 2013, lange vor Inkrafttreten des deutschen Gesetzes, mit dem dieses Recht eingeführt wurde. Im Jahr 2019, während der Reform des EU-Telekommunikationsrechts, weiteten wir unsere Beühungen auf die europäische Ebene aus und arbeiteten mit europäischen Regulierungsbehörden zusammen. Die Routerfreiheit wurde in verschiedenen EU-Ländern zur Realität, darunter Finnland, Italien, Belgien und die Niederlande.

Bei all diesen Prozessen haben wir lokale Communities, Experten und Entscheidungsträger einbezogen, um die Rechte der Endnutzer zu schützen. Die Unterstützung durch die Community war der Schlüssel zu diesem Erfolg. So führte die FSFE beispielsweise ein zweijähriges Community-Projekt durch, um Daten über Missbräuche von Telekommunikationsbetreibern und andere Schwierigkeiten im Zusammenhang mit der Routerfreiheit zu sammeln. Die übergreifende Umfrage führte zu einem umfassenden Bericht, der 2023 veröffentlicht wurde und aufzeigt, wie Internet-Provider immer noch die Wahlfreiheit der Verbraucher behindern, Kontrolle über Internet-Geräte ausüben und proprietäre Geräte fördern.

Überall in Europa sprachen sich Nutzer dafür aus, dass wir uns für eine Regulierung einsetzen, die das Wahlfreiheit bei Routern und Modems schützt. Mehr als 90 % der Teilnehmer an unserer Umfrage stimmten zu, dass die Routerfreiheit der Schlüssel für ein offenes Internet, Sicherheit und Datenschutz, fairen Wettbewerb und digitale Nachhaltigkeit ist.

Erweitern wir Routerfreiheit auf andere Länder!

Da Routerfreiheit die Hardware-Ebene der Netzneutralität darstellt, ist sie eine wichtige politische Forderung.

Aus diesem Diagramm über die Anschlussarten und die Routernutzung geht hervor, dass die meisten DSL-Kunden zwar ihren eigenen Router verwenden, aber bei Glasfaser- und Koaxialanschlüssen immer noch auf die Geräte der Anbieter angewiesen sind.

Anders als in Deutschland ist Routerfreiheit in mehreren EU-Ländern noch immer keine Realität. In Ländern wie Österreich und Frankreich, die beschlossen haben, Routerfreiheit abzuschaffen, oder in Ländern wie Griechenland, die nicht in der Lage waren, sich vollständig für die Rechte der Endnutzer einzusetzen rights und Routerfreiheit nur für bestimmte Arten von Netzen zuließen, ist der Rechtsrahmen nach wie vor uneinheitlich.

Deshalb zählen wir auf Ihre Unterstützung. Es gibt noch viel zu tun. Geräteneutralität wird nicht nur von Internetdienstanbietern bedroht, sondern auch von Software- und Hardwareherstellern und -anbietern, die die Freiheiten und Rechte der Endnutzer nicht respektieren. Wir sind der festen Überzeugung, dass Softwarefreiheit der Standard sein sollte und Endnutzern keine Fesseln angelegt werden sollten. Technologieunternehmen sollten die Nutzer nicht in „Walled Gardens“ einsperren, die die Möglichkeiten ihrer Geräte einschränken.

Es ist an der Zeit, dass wir alle unsere Geräte, einschließlich Router und Modems, befreien. Helfen Sie uns mit einer Spende, dies in Europa zu erreichen!

Wir brauchen Ihre Unterstützung für unser langfristiges Engagement. Wir sind bereit, im nächsten Jahrzehnt für Routerfreiheit zu kämpfen. Schließen Sie sich jetzt unserer Sache an!

Werden Sie jetzt FSFE-Supporter!

Support FSFE

SFP#28: Policy and EU: FOSDEM DevRooms with Alexander Sander

FOSDEM, Europe's largest Free Software conference, is just around the corner! In this episode of the Software Freedom Podcast, Bonnie Mehring and Alexander Sander discuss the two DevRooms organised by the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE). Learn all about the Legal and Policy Issues DevRoom and the Funding the FOSS Ecosystem DevRoom.

As FSFE's Senior Policy Consultant, Alex is involved in the set-up of those two DevRooms at FOSDEM. Both tracks are a must-visit for Free Software developers and advocates. The Legal and Policy Issues DevRoom focuses on current EU and US legislation, its implementation, and its future impact on the broader Free Software ecosystem as well as legal questions. Meanwhile the Funding the FOSS Ecosystem DevRoom explores the often-overlooked topic of funding Free Software, featuring talks on current challenges and discussions in the field. This DevRoom provides a solid introduction to funding while also addressing pressing and relevant topics.

This is the perfect episode for everybody attending FOSDEM either in person or in the virtual world!

Show notes

• Legal and Policy Issues DevRoom
• Funding the FOSS Ecosystem DevRoom
• Join the FSFE's women breakfast during FOSDEM
• The FSFE calls for broader interoperability by Apple under the DMA
• Stay up-to-date and join our Newsletter
• Support our work for Free Software

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

Support FSFE

The FSFE launches 'Ada & Zangemann' movie in French as Open Educational Resource

The Free Software Foundation Europe is releasing the animated film ‘Ada & Zangemann - A Tale of Software, Skateboards, and Raspberry Ice Cream’ in French as an Open Educational Resource. Originally a highly successful illustrated book, now available in 10 languages and counting, the story has been adapted into a film that can be freely used in schools.

Following the success of the illustrated book 'Ada & Zangemann - Un conte sur les logiciels, le skateboard et la glace à la framboise', the FSFE is now releasing the story as an animated movie in French, with the support of the French Ministry of Education.

The story, aimed at children aged 6 and above, is about the inventor Zangemann and the girl Ada, a curious tinkerer. Ada begins to experiment with hardware and software, and in the process realises how crucial technology is for her and others. It is a fascinating and motivating story for children, especially girls, to tinker with hardware and software and encouraging them to shape their own technology.

The movie is also available in English and German and will be released in Spanish and Danish soon. It is distributed under a Creative Commons license, so anyone will be able to download and share the movie, embed it on websites, use it in schools, display it at events, and integrate it with other educational material, making a difference to the quality of IT education that is so vital for young people in our digital society.

The book has been translated into 10 languages, primarily by volunteers worldwide, and Ada’s story has reached more than 20,000 children globally. It has been shared through readings, discussions, and workshops. The FSFE's Git repository provides access to the story in various languages, along with additional resources for educational purposes. For more details about the French edition, visit the dedicated website created by C&F Editions, its publisher.

Support FSFE

The FSFE supports Dutch call to adopt social media platforms that respect public values

Last week six Dutch civic organisations launched the campaign ‘Make Socials Social Again’. They call upon public organisations to adopt social media platforms that respect public values and thus are the real ‘social’ platforms.

The campaign, ‘Make Socials Social Again’, expresses the need for social media based on public values like transparency, privacy and sustainability.

The FSFE joins this campaign to encourage a public debate on this. As stressed in the FediGov campaign by the Swiss FSFE local team. It is important that platforms used by public bodies enable independent and self-determined use of technology.

The possibilities of using open and transparent systems, Free Software and open standards to enable truly social media, contributing positively to the public debate are legion. Good examples of this are, the Mastodon pilots by the Dutch government and SURF and Universities of the Netherlands. This encourages flexibility, security, the possibilities to innovate, societal debate and our digital

A series of events are lined up in the following weeks to support interested parties in adopting alternative social media.

Join this Dutch campaign by using the hashtag #MakeSocialsSocialAgain and use the campaign images.

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The FSFE calls for broader interoperability by Apple under the DMA

The Free Software Foundation Europe, alongside civil society organizations, developers and researchers, submitted its position to the European Commission’s public consultation on measures requiring Apple to ensure compliance with the Digital Markets Act’s interoperability provisions. The FSFE stressed the urgent need for Apple to provide effective, free-of-charge interoperability.

CC-BY-SA 4.0. by Rahak for FSFE.

In parallel to the litigation efforts against Apple, the FSFE continues to collaborate with the European Commission and other stakeholders in the enforcement of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Alongside other civil society organizations, researchers and developers, the FSFE submitted its position to the European Commission to improve the European Commission’s proposal to regulate Apple’s approach towards interoperability in its iOS and iPadOS operating systems, as required by Article 6(7) of the DMA.

The FSFE is demanding a shift towards “interoperability by default”. Apple’s reactive approach is at odds with the DMA, undermining developer agency and consumer choice. The FSFE urges that Apple should not deny software interoperability at its discretion, but the process for assessing interoperability requests should be transparent and non-discriminatory. We recommend that the Commission take a more active role by scrutinizing Apple’s decisions and intermediating conflict resolution among Apple and access-seeking developers. Besides, Apple should not rely on API security by obscurity, but the Commission should require public API documentation. We suggest that the Commission require Apple to also adopt an effective bug-tracking system and prohibit the company from requiring non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) from developers who wish to interoperate with iOS and iPadOS.

The FSFE has ensured that the voices of Free Software developers, particularly smaller projects, are heard. We welcome the European Commission’s steps toward demanding effective and transparent measures from Apple, but a fundamental shift towards "interoperability by design" would be the most impactful improvement. DMA is not only about regulating competition among gatekeepers but also levelling the playing field to SMEs and smaller software developers. Therefore, it is crucial to keep Apple’s approach to interoperability under strict scrutiny from the Commission and civil society." Lucas Lasota, FSFE Legal Programme Manager

In addition, the FSFE is participating in a comprehensive study on how Apple’s restrictive interoperability policies harm Free Software. This research was first presented in November 2024 during a conference on the DMA implementation in Brussels and will also be presented at an upcoming event organized by the Knight-Georgetown Institute and Yale University in Washington, D.C., in February 2025.

Additional Material

Joint submission to the European Commission’s public consultation on Apple’s request-driven approach towards Art. 6(7) DMA.

Dedicated page to FSFE’s strategic litigation efforts on the Apple vs European Commission case at the Court of Justice of the European Union.

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I Love Free Software Day 2025 is around the corner!

Ready for I Love Free Software Day 2025? At this annual event on 14 February the FSFE and other Free Software enthusiasts celebrate all the contributors to Free Software. It is a day dedicated to recognising and appreciating all the work done for Free Software projects, big or small.

“Hidden Projects” is this year’s theme for ‘I Love Free Software Day’, that wants to highlight Free Software initiatives that may not always be in the spotlight but that are essential to the infrastructure we rely on every day. These “hidden” projects -from server software to critical tools that power our systems- form the backbone of our daily infrastructure. It’s time we give them the recognition they deserve!

Join us on Friday, 14 February 2025, as we celebrate the Free Software projects that power our digital infrastructure, and most importantly, the incredible people behind them: all those contributors doing their bit so all of us can benefit.

Together, we can make a real difference in showing the world how crucial Free Software is for our society.

The more people participating in ‘I Love Free Software Day’, the stronger the message we send about the importance of Free Software in our daily lives. This day is a chance for all of us to shine a spotlight on the hidden heroes who make it all possible. Whether you’re a developer, system administrator, translator, community moderator, your work matters.

You can join any of the events listed below *more are coming soon:

• 🇬🇧 FSFE Potteries, Staffordshire (UK)
  • ⏰ 11.02.2025, 18:30 (GMT)
  • 📍 Upstairs at KPA Clubhouse, 97 Horwood Road, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire
• 🇵🇱 Warsaw, Poland
  • ⏰ 12.02.2025
  • 📍Warsaw Hackerspace, Żelazna 103A, 01-017 Warszawa
• 🇩🇪 Nuremberg, Germany
  • ⏰ 13.02.2025, 18:00 (CET)
  • 📍 Deutschherrnstr. 15-19, 904129 Nürnberg in the Schulungsraum from Netways. Please, register here for attending the event.
• 🇪🇸 Barcelona, Spain
  • ⏰ 13.02.2025, 19:00 (CET)
  • 📍 AKASHA Hub Barcelona, Carrer de la Verneda, 19, Local 1, 08018 Barcelona
• 🇪🇸 Madrid, Spain
  • ⏰ 13.02.2025
  • 📍 La Corriente, C. de la Reina Mercedes, 1, Tetuán, 28020 Madrid
• 🇩🇪 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
  • ⏰ 14.02.2025
  • 📍 Chaos Computer Club Frankfurt e.V., more information to be announced soon
• 🇦🇹 Villach in Carinthia, Austria
  • ⏰ 14.02.2025
  • 📍 Tschinowitscher Weg 5, 9500 Villach. More information on the webpage.

Take a look at our activity page for more information about the events. And for all of you who are now feeling inspired to organise their very own event check out out new toolkit. In this toolkit you find all the necessary information plus prepared presentations, games, toots and tweets for organising your very own I Love Free Software Day event.

You can’t make it to these events? No problem! There are many other ways to get involved in I Love Free Software Day 2025:

• Create a Sharepic: Use our Sharepic Generator to craft a personalized thank you message and share it with the world. Post it on social media with #ilovefs and inspire others to show their appreciation!
• Thank You Videos: Think of a Free Software project that doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves but is integral to our infrastructure. Record a short video with a thank you message and share it on your social media channels using the hashtag #ilovefs.
• Host a local event: Gather with your friends, family, or colleagues to celebrate Free Software and its contributors. Whether it’s a small get-together or a larger community event, your support matters! We have prepared a toolkit with all the essential materials and information for organising a local event.
• Send a postcard to your favourite Free Software project and order free promotional material for spreading the word about Free Software. You find all our free promotional material including stickers, posters and postcards on our spread the word page.
• Share your knowledge about Free Software and spread the word about the four freedoms: Use, Understand, Share, and Improve.

Need Help or More Information?

More information and additional resources to celebrate I Love Free Software Day are on activity page for the I Love Free Software Day.

Join us in celebrating all the contributors to Free Software – Thank you! <3

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FOSDEM & DMA updates+++ 2025 YH4F +++ Our visions for 2048

The new year has begun, offering 365 days to promote Free Software! As we prepare for FOSDEM and continue working on the DMA implementation, we are excited to launch the fourth edition of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom. We closed 2024 sharing our predictions for 2048 and taking part in the Chaos Communication Congress.

Table of contents

• Quote of the Month
• T minus 23 years until 2048
• Ready for FOSDEM? Join our “Legal & Policy issues” and “Funding the FOSS Ecosystem” devrooms
• The FSFE demands that Apple provide broader interoperability
• Youth Hacking 4 Freedom: 2025 edition and interviews with 2024 participants
• The FSFE at 38C3
• The FSFE promotes freedom of software, hardware, and data
• SFP#27: Policy and EU: Free Software hearing in the German Bundestag
• Get Involved: I Love Free Software Day
• FSFE Women Meetings
• Back to the stages! Past events from our community
• Contribute to our Newsletter

Quote of the Month

“I have a huge list of advice I would give people participating in Youth Hacking 4 Freedom, but there is one that I would highlight: don't be afraid to submit unfinished projects! Thankfully my mother encouraged me to submit it and my life has completely changed for the better ever since!”

- Sofía Aritz, 2024 YH4F winner

T minus 23 years until 2048

“What will happen in the movement for software freedom in 2025? It is hard for me to make such predictions. What the past 20 years working for the Free Software Foundation Europe have taught me is to be prepared for the things you cannot predict. While predicting the future is always hard, we know what we are aiming to accomplish in the long run."

Ready for FOSDEM? Join our “Legal & Policy issues” and “Funding the FOSS Ecosystem” devrooms

FOSDEM 2025 is around the corner and its schedule is out! This year the FSFE is co-organizing two devrooms: “Legal & Policy issues” and “Funding the FOSS Ecosystem”.

For the fifth consecutive year, the FSFE, together with our co-hosts, is proud to organize the Legal and Policy Issues devroom, a popular track focused on the political and legal challenges in the realm of software freedom.This devroom is now in its 13th edition.

This year, we are also contributing to the organization of the Funding the FOSS Ecosystem devroom. Debuting at this FOSDEM edition, this track aims to bring together developers, maintainers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, donors, and funders to explore sustainable funding models and mechanisms that ensure the longevity and security of FOSS projects.

The FSFE demands that Apple provide broader interoperability

In parallel to the litigation efforts against Apple, the FSFE continues to collaborate with the European Commission and other stakeholders in the implementation of the DMA. The FSFE is participating in a comprehensive study on how Apple's interoperability policies negatively affect Free Software. The study has been accepted by a conference to be held in Washington DC organised by the renowned Knight-Georgetown Institute and Yale University.

Besides, the FSFE is working together other civil society organisations to submit a position for the Commission's public consultation on Apple's compliance measures regarding interoperability required by the DMA.

Youth Hacking 4 Freedom: 2025 edition and interviews with 2024 participants

The new edition of YH4F has officially begun, marking the start of its programming period earlier this month. As we eagerly await the exciting projects this fourth edition will unveil, we talked with three participants from the last edition: Vinícius, Simon, and Sofia, who was one of the 2024 winners.

On 9 January the competition kicked off with its opening event in which participants got information about the contest and their questions were answered, while learning some tips from former winners.

Do you want to participate? Late registration is possible!

The FSFE at 38C3

The Free Software Foundation Europe, along with over sixteen thousand attendees, took part in the 38th Chaos Communication Congress with a booth, several talks, and a lot of stickers. It was a great pleasure to join, once again, the Chaos family for another impressive four-day congress. Thank you all for coming!

The FSFE promotes freedom of software, hardware, and data

The ZOOOM (3Os) Initiative promotes innovation based on freedom of software, hardware, and data. With its recent conclusion, the FSFE hopes to inspire broader use and effective application of Free Software by business, academia, and the public sector.

In only two years, the ZOOOM project produced comprehensive research merging aspects of Free Software, Open Data and Open Hardware. Focusing on the importance of these assets for the future of AI, the initiative not only produced scientific materials tackling legal and business issues regarding Free Software, but also developed a series of recommendations.

Find out more

SFP#27: Policy and EU: Free Software hearing in the German Bundestag

At the beginning of December, the FSFE participated in a German parliament hearing on Free Software, organised by the Digital Committee. The hearing focused on the use of Free Software for public administration. In his speech for the position of the FSFE, Alexander Sander highlighted the importance of funding for Free Software and the current trend of 'openwashing' and how this can affect the procurement process in public administration.

Listen to this Software Freedom podcast episode and find our take on the hearing is!

Get Involved: I Love Free Software Day

Join us in our celebrations of this year's I Love Free Software Day: Hidden Projects on 14 February. this year we focus on Free Software projects that are part of our daily lives but are hardly spoken about.

Around this I Love Free Software Day many local group event swill be happening all over Europe, organised by our amazing community. You find them on our ‘I Love Free Software’ activity page! For organising your own local group event we have our amazing toolkit, which provides organisational tips, slides for presentations, and fun games to play during the event.

If you want to stay quiet and cosy at home there are several ways to participate in this year's celebrations. You can create a sharepic, toot and or tweet online, or send a postcard with a thank you message to your favourite Free Software.

FSFE Women* Meetings

• FSFE Women* January Meeting with a guest speaker

  On 20 January, at the FSFE Women’s meeting, Melanie Bartos will describe the initiative to establish a Mastodon instance and a Fediverse presence at the University of Innsbruck.

  Join the online meeting to find out more about how the University of Innsbruck uses, designs and promotes non-profit, privacy-friendly, and Free Software media and the role of Melanie Bartos

• FOSDEM Women* breakfast

  You are a QWLINTA* person and you are interested in Free Software? Then we are happy to meet you at our Free Software QWLINTA* breakfast! We will meet during FOSDEM on Sunday the 2nd of February in Brussels for breakfast.

  Join us for this informal and relaxed meeting to connect with other QWLINTA*s around you and discuss Free Software and how to create a more welcoming space for QWLINTA*s in the movement. If you are planning to come, please fill in this form so we can reserve an appropriate space according to our needs.

Save the date: Public Money, Public Code! symposium On 8 April we are hosting a symposium on ‘Public Money? Public Code' in the practical work of public administrations. One focus will be on the use of Free Software in municipalities.

The symposium will be held in German and you can find more information at events.fsfe.org.

Back to the stages! Past events from our community

• Spreading Free Software in Thessaloniki

At the end of December, volunteers from Greece organized an event for the freshmen students of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, focused on promoting the use and philosophy of Free Software. The event attended by about 40 enthusiastic students, consisted of an introductory lecture on GNU/Linux and discussions and activities that highlighted the principles and benefits of Free Software. FSFE stickers were distributed at the end of the event.

• Upcycling Android workshop in Berlin

At the end of November, the public library Pablo Neruda in Berlin hosted an 'Upcycling your Android' workshop. There a group of FSFE volunteers helped participants to root their devices to be able to get rid of unwanted app that had been installed by default apps install a Free Software environment.

Contribute to our Newsletter

We would love to hear from you. If you have any thoughts, pictures, or news to share, please send them to us at newsletter@fsfe.org. You can also support us, contribute to our work, and join our community. We would like to thank our community and all the volunteers, supporters, and donors who make our work possible, with a special mention to our translators who make it possible for you to read this newsletter in your mother tongue.

Your editor, Ana

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The FSFE at 38c3

The Free Software Foundation Europe, along with over sixteen thousand attendees, took part in the 38th Chaos Communication Congress with a booth, several talks and a lot of stickers. It was a great pleasure to join, once again, the Chaos family for another impressive four-day congress. Thank you all for coming!

From 27 to 30 December the Congress Center in Hamburg turns into an alternative universe full of unicorns, rockets, colourful lights, lots of technology, and mate! It is the time of the Chaos Communication Congress. This iconic annual gathering remains one of the most significant technology conferences globally, attracting developers, activists, artists, and thinkers from all over the world. The Congress serves as a vibrant space for exchanging ideas and discoveries, and exploring innovative approaches to technology and society. Did you manage to make it to 38c3?

As in previous years, the FSFE was part of the Bits & Bäume habitat, where our staffers and volunteers spread the word about Free Software, our work, and our activities. At our booth, we were surrounded by our new hoodies, Ada & Zangemann books, t-shirts, socks, magnets, and stickers. Countless individuals from diverse backgrounds stopped by to learn more about Free Software, get some of our merchandising, and share their own experiences and thoughts with us. Many attendees from across the globe stopped by to expand their sticker collections, ask questions about our current activities, support us, and help spread our message of software freedom.

But there was more: our activities were shown in a short video on the main 38c3 screens; as part of the Bits & Bäume habitat, we took part in a 2024 timeline, and we also challenged some participants to make a "There is no Cloud" blinking badge. It was a great pleasure to guide participants through the process of soldering and assembling the badges. There was great enthusiasm for the project, and we and the participants acquired new skills along the way.

The FSFE hosted several activities, including a FSFE Women meetup, a screening of the Ada & Zangemann movie, a talk at the Community Stage, two lightning talks, a reading of the Ada & Zangemann book, and a Fediverse fishbowl discussion.

• The Bits & Bäume Workshop Area was opened by a meetup of the FSFE Women group organised by its coordinator and volunteer, Liv Dywan. The workshop area was filled up by members of the group and curious passers-by. After a short introduction, the group shared and discussed topics related to diversity and education.
• The screening of the "Ada & Zangemann – A Tale of Software, Skateboards, and Raspberry Ice Cream"was full of children and parents excited to watch the recently premiered movie. The audience was fully engaged, enjoying the characters' journey and their connection to the Free Software movement. It was a perfect opportunity to inspire the next generation about the power of technology and the importance of software freedom. Of course, the children left the venue with a lot of Ada stickers! Moreover, the day after the screening of the Ada & Zangemann movie, we had a reading of the book at the Bits & Bäume Wohnzimmer lounge.
• Our talk "Let’s Spark Children’s Interest in Coding" (EN) on the Community Stage was well received with almost a full house. Attendees were very interested in and gave positive feedback on our initiatives for the younger generations, such as Ada & Zangemann and Youth Hacking 4 Freedom, and provided positive feedback. Attendees also asked insightful questions about Youth Hacking 4 Freedom, which were answered by one of the winners of the last edition.
• On Day 3, we took the stage for two lightning talks. At the "From Apple litigation to Legal Education: how the FSFE can help you" (EN), we made a summary of the FSFE legal work while Sofía Aritz, one of the 2023 YH4F winners, explained how to participate in this programming competition in her talk "Youth Hacking 4 Freedom" (EN). Both talks gathered a lot of attention and some of the attendees visited our booth afterwards to learn a bit more about those two topics and our activities in general.
• Finally, Tobias Diekershoff, our System hacker and Fediverse expert with Leena Simon hosted a fishbowl discussion about fediverse governance. This idea was sparked by a talk presented by Leena in 2023. Several attendees discussed how to moderate the fediverse and identified some problems with existing structures and technologies.

Overall, the event was really successful, bringing together a diverse audience eager to learn and share. From engaging talks and workshops to the movie screening, participants left inspired and motivated to contribute to the Free Software movement.

Thank to everyone who stopped at our booth and thanks to Bits & Bäume for a great habitat! We look forward to seeing you at the next Chaos events! In the meantime, stay tuned by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on PeerTube.

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Up for 2025 YH4F? 2024 Winner Sofía Aritz shares why it's a must-join!

The fourth round of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom (YH4F) is officially underway, with its opening event on 9 January. Sofía, one of the 2024 winners, gives us an insight into her project, how she came up with her idea, and her experience of the competition in general. Find out more! And do not forget to register for this edition!

A new edition of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom (YH4F) is starting this week with its opening event on Thursday 9 January. At this event, the YH4F organizers will explain how this competition works and will resolve your doubts so, if you still haven’t done it, register! This unique programming competition, organized by the Free Software Foundation Europe, encourages young Europeans to develop a personal technical project under one premise: whatever it is, it has to be Free Software. But it is more than just a contest: it's an opportunity for young talent to showcase their creativity, learn new skills, and contribute to their community.

We spoke with Sofía Aritz, one of last year's winners, who shared her journey from doubting to register to participate due to a lack of ideas to winning with her project Identity, a project she developed almost at the end of the programming phase. Identity is a general purpose memory storage app, but the data you store in Identity has an unlimited number of use cases such as medical ones, helping people suffering dementia, palliative care, depression, etc.

FSFE: Hi Sofía! First of all, congratulations on being one of the winners of the last round of YH4F! Could you please briefly introduce yourself and tell us what you like to do before we delve into your project?

Sofía: Thank you very much! My name is Sofía Aritz and I am 18 years old. I love reading and programming, these two have been my greatest passions for the last decade. Over the years, I’ve applied my computer knowledge in different areas: music, databases, data sovereignty...

FSFE: What was your first experience with programming and how did you start learning it? Was it with Free Software?

Sofía: My first experience with programming was at the age of five, when my uncle gave my mother a printed copy of the Python tutorial. The prospect of being able to control a computer was one of my biggest motivations for learning to program. I was able to learn Python thanks to both the tutorial and the fact that it is Free Software.

Register for Youth Hacking 4 Freedom 2025!

Register

FSFE: How and why did you decide to join YH4F? What do you like the most about the contest?

Sofía: Although YH4F was exactly what I had been looking for years, I had doubts about joining it because at that time, I had no (good) ideas and I was in my last year of high school, so I was quite busy. But since it sounded really good [a programming contest for young people who could work on whatever they wanted!], I thought about it and finally joined at the end of February 2024. I was sure at the end, I was going to have an idea.

About what I like the most… It's hard to choose: the concept of YH4F, the groups meetings, my peers…

FSFE: So, when you joined, you didn’t have an idea. How did you come up with your final project, Identity?

Sofía: I didn't come up with the idea of Identity until the programming phase was almost over. My mother is a singing teacher, but she's done some medical work in the past. One of the things she researched was the relationship between dementia and music. Over the years, she has tried to look for things similar to Identity, but couldn't find any. Then one night, we started talking about the relationship between dementia and music, and the idea of Identity became a reality.

Since I didn’t have any meaningful ideas in mind when I joined, I started working on an application to help my school manage their computers, but similar Free Software projects already existed and the idea didn’t really appeal to me. I also had a couple of other ideas that I worked on for a very short time, but I can’t remember what they were.

In the beginning, Identity was going to be a music-centric app with integrations to platforms such as Libre.fm, Spotify… but after discussing possible use cases and who Identity could be useful to, we landed on the current concept of Identity. Together, my mother and I, we came up with the current idea of Identity.

FSFE: What motivates you to work on your project? How can Identity be useful for everyone?

Sofía: What motivates me the most is the fact that Identity can help millions of people, not just those with dementia, but everyone! That's why I'm currently working on the project.

Right now Identity is just a general purpose memory storage app, but the data you store in Identity has an unlimited number of use cases. What I'm currently researching is how memories can help people in different areas: dementia, palliative care, depression, etc.

On a technical level, I plan to implement a plug-in system that will allow anyone to use the data they store for specific purposes: from things like an "Identity Wrapped" to more medically focused use cases.

This is one of the open questions from my presentation during the award ceremony, and even though things are clearer now, it is not yet resolved, but I am working on it!

FSFE: What were the main problems or challenges that you encountered during the programming phase?

Sofía: I didn't face many technical challenges while working on the project. I used a tech stack that I was familiar with and didn't worry much about code quality and scalability. I had a huge time constraint and I decided to just build a proof of concept.

The biggest challenge was working on the project without having a clearly defined idea. I started coding while I was still discussing with my mother what Identity would become and what Identity would be used for.

FSFE: Did you work on your project alone or had any help by others? How did you learn so much about the needs of elderly people?

Sofía: I did all of the programming myself, but I got feedback and ideas from a dozen of people who were really invested in the idea of Identity. Without those people, especially my mother, Identity wouldn't be what it is today.

I did a lot of research into how the use of memories could benefit palliative care and dementia patients, but the cornerstone in the initial phases was my mother. She had already done research on these topics some years ago.

FSFE: How has participating in YH4F and working on your project affected you personally? What have you learned about yourself through this experience?

Sofía: Participating in YH4F has changed my life for the better. I've learned how to manage projects efficiently, how to work on a project whose requirements change constantly, how to give and receive constructive and actionable feedback…

I've always had loads of energy and motivation and, thanks to YH4F and my current internship at the FSFE, I can focus that energy and motivation on changing the world for the better.

FSFE: Do you think you will continue working on your project and what would be some next steps you would like to take? Are you planning to improve the documentation so that more people can reuse your projects?

Sofía: Of course! Right now I'm working with some doctors specialized in palliative care and with some experts on the field of data security to make sure that Identity is as secure and as useful as it needs to be.

I'm rewriting Identity with a focus on scalability, interoperability, security, and modularity, and one of the things I am focusing on is proper and useful documentation. In the future, Identity may have to interoperate with existing medical systems, so documentation is one of the most important aspects of the project.

FSFE: Is there any kind of advice that you would like to tell new Youth Hacking 4 Freedom participants?

Sofía: I have a huge list of advice I would give people participating in Youth Hacking 4 Freedom, but there is one that I would highlight: don't be afraid to submit unfinished projects!

Identity works, but there are many things that don't (e.g. the trustee system) and I thought about not submitting Identity to YH4F.

Thankfully my mother encouraged me to submit it and my life has completely changed for the better ever since!

FSFE: What are your future plans in the area of Free Software?

Sofía: I'll continue working on Identity and contributing to Free Software projects, as I've been doing for the last few months. But my focus has shifted. I have just started an internship at the FSFE, in which I will learn how to do public awareness and policy work to improve the state of Free Software in Europe!

FSFE: Thank you Sofía for your time and for sharing your thoughts and insights about Youth Hacking 4 Freedom. It is a pleasure to welcome you to the FSFE staff team! It is truly amazing to see what you have accomplished due to Youth Hacking 4 Freedom.

The 2025 edition of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom started on 1 January with its programming phase. On 9 January, the competition will officially kick off with an opening event in which participants will get all the information about the contest and will be able to solve all their questions. Moreover, the event will include former participants that will tell about their experience and will give some tips on how to find a project and making it a winner.

Late registration is possible but we recommend you to register as soon as possible to be able to meet other participants. Check out the YH4F website to find out all the details of this competition or feel free to reach out to the organisers via mail! Thanks to our donor Reinhard Wiesemann and our sponsor Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH for making this competition possible.

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T minus 23 years until 2048

"What will happen in the movement for software freedom in 2025? It is hard for me to make such predictions. What the past 20 years working for the Free Software Foundation Europe have taught me is to be prepared for the things you cannot predict." - Below a message from our president Matthias Kirschner to our readers.

While predicting the future is always hard, we know what we are aiming to accomplish in the long run.

Last year, we discussed what the world might would look like in the different areas of our work in 2048, if the FSFE is successful. Why 2048? Because the likelihood of any of us still being alive in 4096 is quite low ;)

This is our vision for the year 2048:

• Everyone has the right to remove and install any software on any of their devices! As part of our work for device neutrality, we are already defending Free Software against Apple at the European Court of Justice, while we continue to advocate for router freedom. The push for device neutrality will be a cornerstone of our work in 2025 and beyond.
• All public funding for software should be for Free Software only! This principle has been at the heart of our efforts, and we continue to advance it through various initiatives under the "Public Money? Public Code!" motto. Last year, we further supported public administrations in their transition to Free Software; in December we were invited to participate as experts in a hearing in the German parliament; as part of our watchdog role we held decision-makers accountable for their work in this area; and in 2025 we will pilot a new event format on "Public Money? Public Code!".
• All regulatory frameworks encourage the use and development of Free Software. In recent years we have witnessed an increase in regulation in our field of work. Last year, we were engaged with the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), the Product Liability Directive (PLD), the AI Act, the Interoperable Europe Act, and other regulations. In 2025 and beyond, we will continue to serve as an independent voice for individual contributors and users and we will ensure that decision-makers understand and value the contributions by Free Software companies to society. And we want regulatory frameworks to recognise those contributions, by incentivising companies and organisations to develop and use Free Software.
• Licensing and legal decisions are based on facts, rather than fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Free Software contributors should be able to focus on contributing to society without constantly worrying about legal issues. As in 2024, we will keep providing a safe and neutral space for controversial legal and licensing discussions with the FSFE's Legal & Licensing Workshop. We will continue our decades of work supporting Free Software contributors with their legal questions. In 2025, we will launch a new format for our work on legal education, in addition to our Licensing and Legal FAQs.
• Young people have the opportunity to tinker, experiment and code with Free Software as the default. As well as calling for “Public Money? Public Code!” for the education sector, we are encouraging young people to code and experience how much fun it is to shape technology! In 2025 we will be conducting the fourth edition of our European programming competition "Youth Hacking 4 Freedom". In this contest, teenagers across Europe can win €1024, €2048, or €4096 for their Free Software project. Our goal is for young people from all over Europe to see what others in their peer group can accomplish with software, and to get inspired and motivated. We bring the winners together in Brussels to celebrate their hard persistent work, connect with each other in person, receive their awards, have a good time, and show their parents that what their children are doing is great, even if they might not fully understand anything about computers themselves. And we help them connect more with the Free Software community. Besides that, we will continue to translate and publish the "Ada & Zangemann" book and the movie, and help people organising events to spark children's interest in technology.

You see, there is a lot of work ahead of us over the next 23 years. As in the past 40 years of our movement, it will not be easy. We will have to work hard every day to accomplish this and I am confident that we will also accomplish some of those goals before 2048.

I am thankful to all the FSFE supporters, who are part of the FSFE's ongoing efforts. I promise you that, today and in the next years, the FSFE will work hard to make our goals for 2048 a reality. Together we will make a positive impact on our society. Let us make sure that whenever we have a look back, we will be proud of our joint efforts for software freedom!

All the best, Matthias Kirschner President, Free Software Foundation Europe

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The FSFE promotes freedom of software, hardware, and data

The ZOOOM (3Os) Initiative promotes innovation based on freedom of software, hardware, and data. With its recent conclusion, the FSFE hopes to inspire broader use and effective application of Free Software by business, academia, and the public sector.

Free Software, Open Data and Open Hardware are essential building blocks for a sustainable and trustworthy industrial and commercial ecosystem. Nevertheless, business, academia, and the public sector sometimes lack important fundamental understandings of these topics, and as a result many industries often develop systemic problems by matching business models with inappropriate licensing frameworks, or even without sufficient frameworks at all.

To help solve these problems, the FSFE became a partner of the ZOOOM Initiative (3Os – Open Source Software, Open Data, Open Hardware), that started in 2022. This European project funded by the European Commission aimed to build competence and raise awareness on the importance of proper management of these three open assets (Software, Hardware, and Data). The FSFE contributed specifically in the research and the development of educational materials on various topics related to Free Software, tailored for industrial and commercial needs. We are pleased to share the outcomes of our collaborative work with our ZOOOM partners over the past 2 years.

Innovative research involving open assets

Together with our ZOOOM consortium partners, we have conducted innovative research to understand commonalities and interactions on the issues faced when dealing collectively with Free Software, Open Hardware, and Open Data. The results have been documented in a report that assists stakeholders with understanding the 3Os and proposes strategies to align their business models with the complexities characterizing each of these open ecosystems.

To support this reporting, the FSFE also conducted extensive research and analysis on Free Software legal issues for business and innovation. As a result of this work, we have contributed to a review of legal cases on issues related to the 3Os, specifically on legal cases related to Free Software. Those interested in an overview of legal issues in open hardware and open data will also find this review useful.

The ZOOOM project broke AI down into its most fundamental elements, so research involving Free Software licensing is facilitated.

Recommendations on Free Software AI licensing

Another significant outcome of this European project was the creation of a comprehensive paper on Free Software and openness in the area of artificial intelligence development. This paper examined the convergence of Free Software and AI focusing on the legal aspects of licensing

In the paper, we considered the necessity to promote openness in a manner that respects the principles of Free Software, especially in light of the various challenges in achieving such openness in AI licensing. In particular, we highlighted the uncoordinated growing proliferation of licenses claiming to be “free and open source” in the AI scene, but that actually impose extra limitations on software freedom and that may lead to license incompatibility.

To improve the situation, we proposed three important recommendations:

1. Preserving openness in AI by safeguarding the Four Freedoms of Free Software;
2. Keeping licensing of AI technologies cohesive and interoperable with Free Software licenses;
3. Encouraging engagement with civil society actors in initiatives aimed to make AI more open, accessible, transparent, and auditable.

The drafting of these papers with our ZOOOM consortium partners has also enabled us to raise awareness among the academic community about the importance of Free Software and open concepts, as they relate to software, hardware, and data.

The hybrid nature of AI, involving data and code, poses challenges for licensing. The ZOOOM project analysed this in detail from the perspective of Free Software.

Development of training materials

In addition to these research activities, we contributed to the development of training materials intended for any organisation – private or public – to equip users with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate Free Software, open hardware, and open data. The training toolkit can be especially useful for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across Europe with the necessary skills to adopt strategies and evaluate business modules that relate to open technologies.

Check out our Legal Education Day playlist

Successful outreach in Europe for Free Software

The ZOOOM project also engaged in an extensive awareness campaign to promote our work, and general awareness of the principles of Free Software, Open Hardware, and Open Data. As part of this campaign, more than 40 events were organised. The FSFE spoke at various conferences and events across Europe, including at FOSDEM 2024, DORS/CLUC 2024, and SFSCon 2022

Additionally, the ZOOOM consortium organized exclusive meetups and events involving a broad range of stakeholders (academia, public sector and business), to further promote Free Software in Ljubljana, Trento, and Brussels.

The ZOOOM project allowed the FSFE to reach university students, academics, and science folks to raise awareness for the importance of Free Software.

Sustainability goal: open science

In only two years, the ZOOOM project produced comprehensive research merging aspects of Free Software, Open Data and Open Hardware. Focusing on the importance of these assets for the future of AI, the initiative not only produced scientific materials tackling legal and business issues regarding Free Software, but also developed a series of recommendations. The next steps are to deploy further the material produced, engaging with organisations and individuals interested in reusing and developing further the materials.

If you are interested in knowing more about the wealth of knowledge produced by ZOOOM, feel free to reach out!

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The FSFE at 38C3: let’s talk together about Software Freedom

The 38th Chaos Communication Congress (38C3), taking place in Hamburg from December 27 to 30, 2024. And we couldn’t miss it! Once again, the FSFE will be at the congress with an assembly and different activities in the Bits & Bäume Habitat. Do not forget to stop by!

Under the motto “Illegal Instructions”, the 38th Chaos Communication Congress (38C3), the annual conference organised by the Chaos Computer Club (CCC), is back at the end of December. As one of the largest and most prominent hacker and tech conferences in Europe, the Congress attracts over ten-thousand of attendees annually, from hackers, technologists, activists, artist, and curious newcomers from all over the world.

One more time, you will find some of the FSFE staffers and volunteers at the Bits & Baüme habitat in the Hamburg Congress Center. There, we will join other digital rights organisations with an assembly and organise several talks and events. Come by at our ‘Ada & Zangemann’ readings by our volunteers and watch this story as an animated movie, participate in our discussion about governance in the Fedivese, find five minutes to listening to our lightning talks, and learn more about sparking children’s interest in coding at our talk on the community stage, a FSFE women meeting..... and let’s do not forget our daily 19:00h date at our booth, where we will be signing together the Free Software song.

FSFE @38c3 Schedule

Day 1

• 14:00 h. FSFE Women Meetup B&B Workshop Area Bits & Bäume / about:freedom

Day 2

• 14:00h. Kino: Ada & Zangemann - Ein Märchen über Software, Skateboards und Himbeereis GF1 Saal 5 Bits & Bäume / about:freedom

• 19:15h . Let’s spark children’s interest in coding Stage YELL

Day 3

• 17:15h. Reading: Ada & Zangemann - A Tale of Software, Skateboards, and Raspberry Ice Cream B&B Wohnzimmerlounge Bits & Bäume / about:freedom

• 20:00 h. Fediverse Governance - Fishbowl Discussion GF1 Saal 5 Bits & Bäume / about:freedom

Plus two lightning talks, "From Apple litigation to Legal Eduation: how the FSFE can help you” and “Youth Hacking 4 Freedom: the programming competition for young Europeans”. - Day and time to be confirmed.

Of course, we will also be there with a lot of posters, stickers and other info material as well as our merchandising, mainly t-shirts and socks but also some new hoodies in case you forgot to pre-order yours!

Stay updated on FSFE activities during 38C3 by following the FSFE on the Fediverse Together, are creating a room for Free Software enthusiasts, Chaos-people, and everybody who wants to connect and talk about Free Software <3.

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SFP#27: Policy and EU: Free Software hearing in the German Bundestag

Alexander Sander, the FSFE's Senior Policy Consultant, and Bonnie Mehring meet for their monthly update on the current policy topics. In this episode they talk about the Free Software hearing in the German Bundestag.

At the beginning of December, the FSFE participated in a German parliament hearing on Free Software, organised by the Digital Committee. The hearing focused on the use of Free Software for the public administration. In his speech for the position of the FSFE, Alexander Sander, highlighted the importance of the current trend of 'openwashing' and how this can affect the procurement process in the public administration.

Listen to this episode and find out what the overall take on the hearing is!

Show notes

• Bundestag hearing on Free Software
• Speech from Alexander Sander in the hearing on Free Software in the German Bundestag
• Hearing on Free Software: Statement from the FSFE (only available in DE)
• Sign the Open Letter for “Public Money? Public Code!”
• Support our work for Free Software

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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Meet Vinícius and Simon, young hackers from Youth Hacking 4 Freedom

The 3rd edition of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom (YH4F) has officially concluded, celebrating the impressive talents of young European developers. Two of the participants in the 2024 edition are sharing insights about their projects and experiences: Vinícius developed an automatic telescope while Simon worked on bringing Free Software on the SHC devices.

The Youth Hacking 4 Freedom contest is a competition organised by the Free Software Foundation Europe that encourages young Europeans to work on a personal technical project. After six months of programming, the competition successfully ended last October with an inspiring award ceremony weekend. This unique programming competition is more than just a contest: it's an opportunity for young talents to showcase their creativity, learn new skills, and contribute to their community.

Vinícius automated the process of star tracking showcasing, ability to upcycle devices with his Automatic Telescope, whereas Simon created a project with SHC devices because of the freedom of choosing his own project. In this interview, we will learn more about them and their projects with different approaches but similar spirit!

FSFE: Hi Vinícius! Hi Simon! First of all, congratulations to both of you for your participation in the third edition of YH4F! Could you please briefly introduce yourselves and tell us what you like to do before we delve into your projects?

Vinícius: My name is Vinícius Carrijo Tambascia and I’m 17 years old. I was born in Brazil and moved to Sweden at the age of 10. My hobbies are looking at the stars with the telescope, playing tennis and skateboard when the weather is good, and also to make projects with software and hardware.

Simon: My name is Simon. I am 15 years old living in Germany. My hobbies are swimming and programming.

FSFE: What was your first experience with programming and how did you start learning it? Was it with Free Software?

Simon: I started to learn programming during COVID, when I bought myself a Raspberry Pi 4 and began experimenting with Arch Linux ARM. For me, Free Software was there from the beginning. I tried to compile obscure programs that only met one requirement, but by fixing bugs and reading their code, I gained a lot of experience and knowledge about programming

Vinícius: My first experience with programming was with a Free Software website called Scratch. Scratch allows you to make games and animations using blocks as code. It’s relatively easy to use and it teaches the concept of programming.

FSFE: How and why did you decide to join YH4F? What do you like the most about the contest?

Vinícius: I first heard about this competition from my parents' friends. I got interested in this competition because I never did anything like this before and I also wanted to challenge my skills to see what I could learn and achieve.

Simon: I joined YH4F last year because it was the only competition in which you could do whatever you want, and it was also one of the few competitions where younger people could participate.

FSFE: Vinícius, how did you come up with your project idea? What motivated you to do your project?

Vinícius: A month before joining this competition, I got a small telescope from my grandparents. I started using it a lot but I did have issues trying to point at a star that wasn’t visible to the naked eye. I knew this problem would be solved with an automatic telescope but they are much more expensive. Therefore I thought I could make my own automatic telescope for this competition. Before coming to this final idea, I had thought of many other options such as games, automatic watering systems for plants, and remote control planes.

FSFE: Vinícius, is astronomy a long-standing passion of yours or did the project stem from your interest in coding?

Vinícius: I always had a certain level of interest in astronomy but it wasn’t a long standing passion. The telescope helped me to gain even more interest in astronomy.

FSFE: Simon, what inspired your project idea? What was the motivation behind choosing this particular project?

Simon: I received these devices from a relative, who switched to a different smart home system after the shutdown of the the one they were using. So I tried to get them up and running in offline mode but the encryption keys, used for pairing and communicating with the end devices, were not saved from the previous owner.

FSFE: Your project emphasises freedom for users. In which specific ways do you think Free Software can empower users when integrated into SHC devices?

Simon: The main goal of my project is to get end devices to use an open standard for communicating. Additionally, I want to release all software that I write for them so that if I lose interest or they break, other people can try to fix any issues/bugs still present in the software.

FSFE: What were the main problems or challenges that you both encountered during the programming phase?

Vinícius: I had problems throughout the whole process of making the project. I started by making the hardware and the mechanical part of the telescope. I spent a lot of time coming up with ideas on how to move the telescope and all of my original ideas didn’t work. Halfway through the competition I managed to move the telescope up and down by itself using a system that involved a rope and a motor. The next part was to make the telescope move horizontally by itself, however this part was much more challenging. I tried so many different ways but nothing worked until the end of May. By then I actually had a telescope with all the mechanics and hardware working but the problem was that I had less than a month for the actual coding period. Time management was a big problem here because I spent a lot of time on the building phase and little on the programming one. During the programming phase, I didn’t know how I was going to do it. I wanted to connect the Arduino [board] to astronomy software (like Google Maps but for stars) to get the live coordinates of the star you want to track, however I simply didn't know how to do that. I tried but got nowhere. Instead I came up with an idea to track the stars using a bunch of mathematical equations that model the trajectory of the stars.

Simon: Mainly, learning how Linux works under the hood, especially building my own "OS" using build-root, was a significant challenge. Another big problem was that missing documentation for the hardware, which meant that I had to figure out all connections to other peripherals on my own.

FSFE: Did you work on your project alone?

Simon: Yes, I worked on it alone.

Vinícius: I did work on my project alone but I had some help. My school helped me with the project by allowing me to use their 3D printer machine. I could have not done the project without a 3D printer. I also had some indirect help from my parents' friends as we discussed ideas for building the telescope.

FSFE: As far as we understood, Vinícius, you have developed software to follow the movement of the stars in the sky. How did you do that?

Vinícius: I tracked the path of the start by coming up with equations that could model the star based on its current position. The path of the star around the sky is mainly caused by the Earth's rotation around its axis and the sun. This is only true for the stars very far away unlike the planets in our solar system.

FSFE: This sounds like a lot of work. We are truly amazed by the effort you put into your project Vinícius.

Simon, your project includes both software and mechanical components. What were the main challenges in making sure the software and hardware work together?

Simon: The biggest challenge is figuring out how the hardware is connected with one another and then adjusting the software to fit the hardware.

An amazing and truely baffeling automated telescope

FSFE: How has participating in YH4F and working on these projects affected you personally? What have you learned about yourself through this experience?

Vinícius: Working on this project has helped me to develop my coding skills, but most importantly it has shown me that I can do more complicated projects than I originally thought. At the beginning of the project, I doubted myself that I could do something so advanced, but in the end, I realised that anything is possible with a lot of dedication and effort. Nothing goes according to plan, but we can still go around it and reach the goal.

Simon: I discovered that there are many people like me that love to tinker with electronics and software.

FSFE: Do you think you will continue working on your project and what would be some next steps you would like to take? Are you planning to improve the documentation so that more people can reuse your projects?

Simon: I will definitely continue to work on this project, but I will probably stop developing the Linux port because the hardware in the central devices is very slow and has no real use any more. However, the next step will be to design custom PCBs for the end devices and use ESP32s to create a replacement board that uses Zigbee, an open standard, instead of the closed standard they have used so far. Another reason for switching to Zigbee is that I recently switched to Zigbee for my home automation and don't want multiple different communication standards that may not work after 10 years. I will definitely document the process for developing the new PCBs and also share other information I still have for the central devices.

FSFE: And last but not least, is there any kind of advice that you would like to tell new Youth Hacking 4 Freedom participants?

Vinícius: Time management is very important. If you're thinking of making a project that involves hardware, then make sure that the building period doesn’t take all of your time because the main focus of this competition is the software. I believe I could have made better software if I had spent less time on the building part and more on the programming part.

Simon: I think you should always just try to do your best. Even if you don't win, you will still make friends and have fun in the process.

FSFE: Thank you Vinícius and Simon. We wish you the best of luck with your future plans and a lot of success with your projects!

The 2025 edition of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom will start on 01.01.2025. You can already register now. Check out the YH4F website to find out all the details of this competition or feel free to reach out to the organisers via mail!

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Hearing at the Bundestag +++ Ada Premiere in German +++ REUSE and NGI updates4

As the last month of the year rolls in, thoughts of 2025 are already taking shape. But before we dive into the new year, December is packed with news! We are participating in a hearing at the German Parliament, we keep pushing for long-term funding for Free Software, new versions of REUSE Specification and REUSE tools were released, and more!

Table of contents

• Quote of the Month
• German Bundestag hearing on "Open Source"
• Policy and EU: the need of long-term funding
• REUSE makes software licensing as easy as one-two-three
• Ada & Zangemann German premiere and more!
• SFSCON ‘24
• Humboldt Prize for a Free Software Master’s Thesis
• Hacker train to FOSDEM
• 38c3: the place to be between Christmas and NYE
• Contribute to our Newsletter

Quote of the Month

“Bram was not just VIM's lead maintainer but a true champion of open source values, collaboration, and innovation of VIM. He showed so much passion and dedication over more than 30 years to build and improve the original VI, making it a highly configurable and popular editor in the UNIX, hacker, and node culture. But he wasn't only a developer and benevolent dictator for life, he built up a community that continues to grow, and support each other, and strive for excellence. We know that none of this would be possible without the great work that Bram created.”

Vim maintainer Christian Brabandt

German Bundestag hearing on “Open Source”

On Wednesday, 4 December at 14:15, Alexander Sander will participate in the hearing on "Open Source" at the German parliament in Berlin. Alex will present the position of the FSFE, answering the questions of the Members of the German Bundestag.

Follow the hearing live (in German)

Policy and EU: the need of long-term funding

Last September, the FSFE called on the community to participate in a consultation on the European Union’s Digital Europe Programme and demanded long-term sustainable funding for Free Software after recent budget cuts. Results show the success of the call: they show that the FSFE’s call to action, based on our answers, was heard. Nearly 800 answers were received, an unusually high number for such consultations.

This is also the topic of our latest Software Freedom podcast episode. On SFP 26, we focus on the 27 million euros cut from funding of the Next Generation Internet initiative (known as NGI). Alexander Sander and Bonnie Mehring shed some light on the history of this European project and share the newest developments in this case.

REUSE makes software licensing as easy as one-two-three

REUSE Specification 3.3 and REUSE tool 5.0.0 were released in November, making it even easier to license your code as Free Software. REUSE provides all the tools and documentation that developers need to apply standards-compliant and comprehensive licensing information to their projects, without needing to be legal experts.

Ada & Zangemann German premiere and more!

On 27 November, 800 guests, most of them children, enjoyed the German premiere of our animated film “Ada & Zangemann - A fairy tale about software, skateboards and raspberry ice cream”, screened in the biggest cinema in Germany. Check out some pictures from the premiere.

The movie is now available, together with the English version, in ada.fsfe.org/movie.

This month we have also released, thanks to our Italian volunteers, this story as an audio book in Italian. And we have continued with the readings, in Italy, rural Germany, and even in Sri Lanka!

More great news! And Ada made it into the Wikimedia Commons media of the day on 10 November! The story of Ada also was promoted in the Autumn edition (number 23) [DE] of the Evangelical parents' magazine "Zehn14".

SFSCON ‘24

At the beginning of November, the FSFE team travelled to Bolzano to take part in SFSCON. It was a really nice few days full of interesting talks and discussions. We also had the chance to go on a sunny hike with our volunteers the day after SFSCON!

During SFSCON, the FSFE and Linux User Group Bolzano-Bozen (LUGBZ) posthumously honored Bram Moolenaar, creator of the widely used Vim text editor, with the European SFS Award.

Besides our booth there, with really nice and cool merchandise such as our new Ada cookie cutters or our temporary FSFE tattoos, our team was also involved giving talks and organizing workshops.

We prepared a playlist with our talks for you to learn first hand about topics such as openwashing, CRA and PLD liability rules, the EU NGI initiatives and the need of long-term funding, our experience with the Italian community, and introduction to the fediverse ... and more.

On Saturday, 23 November, the FSFE participated in Campus du Libre with a booth, engaging with attendees and sharing insights on Free Software. This event, held at Université Jean Moulin Lyon, is organized by members of the academic community and focuses on promoting Free Software.

Humboldt Prize for a Free Software Master’s Thesis

The Humboldt University of Berlin has granted the Humboldt Prize - Research for Innovation 2024" to Linda Novobilska for her master's thesis on "Free and Open Source Software Licensing Requirements and Copyright Infringement Involving Artificial Intelligence Technologies". The thesis was co-advised by Dr Lucas Lasota, FSFE’s Legal Programme Manager.

This master’s thesis represents a successful attempt to systematically analyse the licensing requirements of open source software in relation to AI technologies. The thesis has shed light on the latest developments in copyright law and provides deep insights into recent litigation in the USA.

The Humboldt Innovation Prize is a prestigious award for outstanding academic work by students and junior researchers. The winners are granted 1000 EUR and coaching sessions from the Humboldt Start-Up Innovation Management.

Hacker train to FOSDEM

Are you planning to participate in FOSDEM 2025? What about making the most of this experience and joining a HackerTrain? That is the suggestion of a group of Free Software enthusiasts!

The plan? To go together to Brussels on the night train from Prague to Brussels on 28 January. There will be an informal social gathering and a small unconference.

Interested? Check out all the details here.

38c3: the place to be between Christmas and NYE

Between Christmas and New Year's Eve, the FSFE will be at the 38th Chaos Communication Congress (38c3)—Europe’s largest hacker and tech community gathering. Join us for engaging talks, a booth full of Free Software insights, and plenty of opportunities to connect as we close out the year with exciting discussions!

Follow all our events at events.fsfe.org.

Contribute to our Newsletter

We would love to hear from you. If you have any thoughts, pictures, or news to share, please send them to us at newsletter@fsfe.org. You can also support us, contribute to our work, and join our community. We would like to thank our community and all the volunteers, supporters, and donors who make our work possible, with a special mention to our translators who make it possible for you to read this newsletter in your mother tongue.

Your editor, Ana

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FOSDEM 2025 Call for Participation: Legal and Policy Issues DevRoom

We are excited to announce that the Legal and Policy Issues DevRoom will be returning for FOSDEM 2025! Join this DevRoom at the biggest annual Free Software event in Europe. This is your opportunity to submit proposals for a talk or a panel about Free Software legal and policy topics.

The Call for Participation for the Legal and Policy Issues DevRoom at FOSDEM 2025 is now open! We are inviting you to submit your proposals for talks and panel discussions about Free Software-related legal or policy topics by Sunday 1 December 2024 at 23:59 AoE (Anywhere on Earth). Whether you are deep into public sector use of Free Software, or navigating the legal complexities of licensing compliance, this DevRoom offers a unique space for meaningful discussions that can shape the future of Free Software.

Our community has substantial expertise in this area yet there are few opportunities to discuss these matters in a forum open to all. In the Legal and Policy Issues Devroom we come together for a fruitful exchange on relevant and pressing Free Software topics.For more details on the submission, visit the link of Call for Participation from the DevRoom’s organizers.

What to Expect

In past years, the Legal and Policy Issues DevRoom has tackled a wide array of critical issues that directly impact the Free Software ecosystem, including Openwashing and its repercussions on the community, trademark policy, national laws and their effects on the Free Software movement, the role of Free Software in public administrations, interoperability and more!

This year, the DevRoom community is in particular interested in exploring topics like LLM-generative-models, questions and discussions around current EU regulations (e.g. CRA, AI Act, PLD, DMA), how trademarks have been used as control mechanisms, funding schemes and market incentives for Free Software, license compliance experiences and strategies, export regulations and tactics, tax exempt status in different countries, and the evolution and decline in fiscal sponsorship.

See you there!

The Legal and Policy dev room will be held on Saturday, during the first day of the conference. FOSDEM is the place to exchange ideas, forge collaborations, and tackle the most pressing issues in Free Software and open policy. As always it will take place on the first weekend in February and as usual the FSFE will be present with a booth and talks.Stay tuned for more announcements about FSFE’s activities at FOSDEM.

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SFP#26: Policy and EU: the need of long-term funding and the NGI case

Join this new episode of our Software Freedom podcast in which Bonnie Mehring and Alexander Sander discussing current topics affecting Free Software in the European Union. In this episode we focus on the 27 million euros cut of funding of the Next Generation Internet initiative (known as NGI). Alex and Bonnie shed some light on the history of this European project and share the newest developments in this case.

As FSFE's Senior Policy Consultant, Alex focuses on the role of Free Software at the political arena. There, he advocates for the recognition of Free Software, raising awareness about the important role of Free Software for shaping of our digital tomorrow. When the news of the €27 million funding cut to the Next Generation Internet initiative was leaked, Alex and the FSFE immediately took action. In the wake of the loss in funding we called on our community to take action, demanding long-term funding for Free Software. With the help of our community we reached out to the European Commission - with success.

This is the perfect episode for anyone looking to understand EU policies and the funding cuts for NGI!

Show notes

• Next Generation Internet
• Spread your concern about Free Software funding in your local newspaper
• Bring Back Free Software Funding: Give Your Feedback to the European Commission
• The FSFE demands EU Commission sustainable long-term Free Software funding
• EU consultation confirms demand: long-term funding for Free Software is needed
• Stay up-to-date and join our Newsletter
• Sign the Open Letter for “Public Money? Public Code!”
• Support our work for Free Software

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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REUSE makes software licensing as easy as one-two-three

REUSE Specification 3.3 and REUSE tool 5.0.0 are released today, making it even easier to license your code as Free Software. REUSE provides all the tools and documentation that developers need to apply standards-compliant and comprehensive licensing information to their projects, without needing to be a legal expert.

The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) started REUSE in 2017 to make licensing easy, comprehensive, unambiguous, and machine-readable. This toolkit consists of a specification that standardises licensing, a tool that helps achieve and verify compliance with the specification, and documentation that helps developers through the process.

Today, the REUSE Project announced the release of specification version 3.3 and tool version 5.0.0. These releases follow closely on the heels of the 3.2 release this past summer, which introduced the 'REUSE.toml', a configuration file which allows easy and precise licensing annotations of other files in a project.

In this new 3.3 update, the specification builds on version 3.2 by incorporating additional refinements, some of those small tweaks proposed by the community.

The new release of the tool comes with bug fixes, performance improvements, and the ability to lint individual files instead of the entire project.

How does REUSE work?

The core idea behind REUSE is really simple. First, choose and provide your licences. Second, add copyright and licensing information to each file. And finally, confirm REUSE compliance using the tool. REUSE makes adding copyright and licensing information as simple as possible, using industry-standard System Package Data Exchange (SPDX) tags that are easily parsed by many tools.

Each file needs just two tags, one for copyright and one for licensing.

By making licensing so comprehensive, the reuse of code becomes a lot simpler, hence the project’s name. If a third party finds some REUSE-compliant code that they like, they can easily find the copyright and licensing, and they can in practice just copy the file to their own project without losing any information. In the past, re-users of code would have often had to guess a file’s licensing from incomplete or ambiguous information. But with REUSE, this process becomes trivial, and the developer’s Free Software is much more easily propagated.

A community standard

REUSE is steadily being adopted by more and more projects. In 2020, KDE became one of the biggest Free Software communities to adopt REUSE as their licensing policy, after the Linux kernel in 2017. Other big adopters since then are Weblate, the Rust programming language, Nextcloud, curl, the Khronos Group, the German Aerospace Center, and many others. Software Heritage has begun recommending REUSE as a way to prepare projects for archival.

“An approach such as REUSE makes it much easier to follow an established good practice… I do not have to think where to put a specific information such as the license files as REUSE gives me clear advice. In addition, REUSE helps me to check whether I accidentally missed something. Such tools are really, really important because they bring a standard into practice.” Tobias Schlauch, German Aerospace Center

Under the current system of copyright, software is non-free by default. As such, licensing is the backbone that enables software to be free. REUSE helps the Free Software community do this as clearly and as simply as possible.

Adopting REUSE is fortunately easier than ever. The tutorial walks developers through the three steps, and the FAQ answers all questions about copyright, about licensing, and about REUSE. If you need more motivations for adopting REUSE, this FAQ entry goes into more depth.

The REUSE project thrives thanks to the community and all those who support and adopt it! Contributions from our FSFE supporters enable us to continue developing REUSE and drive forward our other important initiatives. By becoming an FSFE supporter, you join a network of individuals who ensure our long-term impact. You can also help by asking your company to join the REUSE sponsors.

Your support makes our work possible!

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EU consultation confirms demand: long-term funding for Free Software is needed

The FSFE called on the community to participate in a consultation on the European Union’s Digital Europe Programme and demanded long-term sustainable funding for Free Software after recent budget cuts. Results show its success.

In response to the European Commission's €27 million budget cut for Free Software projects this summer, the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) has been demanding sustainable, long-term funding for Software Freedom. Last September, the FSFE participated in the European Commission’s public consultation on the Digital Europe Programme’s interim evaluation. FSFE stressed that reliable long-term funding for Free Software is essential to drive Europe’s digitization efforts towards sovereignty and control over technology.

The results of the interim evaluation were presented today, and they show that the FSFE’s call to action, based on our answers, was heard. Nearly 800 answers were received, —an unusually high number for such consultations. In the open-ended responses, participants highlighted Free Software as a vital component of Europe’s digital future. Additionally, many respondents highlighted Free Software’s role in enhancing cross-border collaboration and argued that stable, dedicated funding for Software Freedom would maximize the impact and value of Europe’s digital agenda. This feedback not only emphasizes the importance of Free Software and its sustainable funding for European digital policy, but also demonstrates the value of public input and the need to provide citizens with meaningful tools to share their opinions.

“The strong response from the public underscores what the FSFE has been pointing out for years: Free Software is an essential tool for a sovereign, transparent, collaborative, and innovative digital Europe. Therefore Software Freedom must be supported with long-term funding", says Alexander Sander, FSFE Senior Policy Consultant.

The FSFE would like to thank everyone who contributed to the consultation. Let’s keep working together for a sustainable funding model for Free Software in Europe! More details on this important issue will be covered in our next episode of the Software Freedom Podcast and on fsfe.org. Stay tuned!

Support our work for Software Freedom! Your donation enables us to advocate for sustainable long-term funding for Free Software in Europe.

Become an FSFE supporter now!

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Vim developer Bram Moolenaar posthumously receives the European SFS Award

The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) and Linux User Group Bolzano-Bozen (LUGBZ) posthumously honored Bram Moolenaar, creator of the widely used Vim text editor, with the European SFS Award at SFSCON 2024. This award celebrates Moolenaar’s invaluable contributions to the Free Software community.

Pictures of Bram Moolenaar: working on Vim, at SFSCON 2009, a phone and an antenna he helped to set up in Uganda, and the piggy bank he had at his work space to ask for donations. You can find the pictures here.

“This year’s European SFS Award goes to Bram Moolenaar whose mantra was ‘Detect inefficiencies, find a quicker way, make it a habit’, someone for whom efficiency of computers users was crucial. His work transformed how many interact with computers, maximizing programmers productivity by minimizing unnecessary keystrokes. His tool has become invaluable for Free Software contributors, developers, and creators.” said Matthias Kirschner, president of the FSFE as he presented the 2024 European SFS Award during SFSCON 24.

Bram Moolenaar is best known for developing VIM, a powerful, screen-based text editor. Released in 1991, Vim was originally a port of the Stevie editor for Amiga and has since become an indispensable tool for developers worldwide, available across multiple platforms. Vim remains one of the most popular and versatile development environments, supporting countless programmers and fostering a dedicated user community. Moolenaar released Vim as “charityware,” encouraging users to support children in the south of Uganda through charitable donations.

“Educating others to empower them was also important for Bram outside of the technology field”, explained Raphael Barbieri, a member of LUGBZ, during the ceremony. “He helped children in Uganda, many of whom had lost their parents to HIV, gain access to education at the Kibaale Community Centre. He founded an NGO to collection donations for this work, even on his work desk there was a piggy bank so that visitors can easily donate.”

Beyond Vim, Moolenaar was a prolific contributor to the Free Software movement, having worked on numerous technical projects, created a programming language, and developed a tool to streamline software installation and management. He also held official roles within software organisations, amplifying his impact on the Free Software landscape.

This award commemorates Moolenaar’s unwavering dedication to help others to better understand computers and software. It gave him great pleasure to participate in conferences, explain the Free Software culture at his work place, and help others to develop and use his software. He wanted others to also experience this joy. "If you are happy, I am happy!" was one of his sayings. Moolenaar passed away on 3 August, 2023, due to a rapidly deteriorating illness. His legacy in the developer community and in social work is expected to continue.

In a message from Moolenaar's family, they expressed their pride and gratitude: "We are very proud that Bram received this award. As a dedicated supporter of Free Software, we believe he would have been honored to accept it. We thank the Free Software Foundation Europe and LUGBZ for recognizing Bram's lifelong work and encourage anyone wishing to honor him to support children in Uganda through ICCF Holland."

Message from Christian Brabandt ,VIM maintainer, recognizing the European SFS Award.

The European SFS Award

The SFS Award was first presented in 2004 to Hugo Leiter at the SFSCON South Tyrol Free Software Conference in recognition of his work implementing LibreOffice across all municipalities in South Tyrol. In 2023, the award expanded to a European level, with the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) partnering with LUGBZ, the award’s initiator, to honor those who have made exceptional contributions to the promotion and dissemination of Free Software across Europe.

The European SFS Award celebrates developers whose work has significantly advanced the accessibility and impact of Free Software in Europe. In 2023, the award was presented to Frank Karlitschek, founder of Nextcloud, for his contributions to Free Software.

2024 Laudatio

Matthias: It is an honor to present the European SFS Award 2024. The FSFE and LUGBZ worked together again this year to find a winner from all nominations. This year’s European SFS Award goes to someone whose work transformed how many interact with computers, creating a tool for Free Software contributors, developers, and creators. A tool that new users might be a little afraid of because it can be tricky to exit.

Raphael: (Yes, you may know the software we’re talking about.) A piece of code that makes every keystroke feel like a power move, where “Esc” is the most important key on your keyboard. Since its launch in 1991, this software has spread across more than 15 operating systems and is installed on millions of computers around the world.

Matthias: For our winner, efficiency of computer users was crucial. His mantra was: “Detect inefficiencies, find a quicker way, make it a habit!” and he helped many people to how to actually accomplish this. He went on to help those he met on mailing lists, at conferences like SFSCON in 2009, or at his workplace. He even talked to public administrations, so they actually use and thereby benefit from Free Software. He wanted to ensure that all software which is procured by public administrations is published under a Free Software license for the good of society.

Raphael: Educating others to empower them was also important for him outside of the technology field. He helped children in Uganda -- who often lost their parents due to HIV -- to get education at the Kibaale Community Centre. He enabled school education for many of them so they can take care about themselves and their families in the long run. He founded an NGO to collection donations for this work, even on his work desk there was a piggy bank so that visitors can easily donate.

Matthias: There was a huge online rivalry between the users of his software and those on the other side: those who used another "operating system" and who called his software the "editor of the beast". This rivalry became an enduring part of hacker culture and the Free Software community. A huge fan of Monty Pythons, this year's winner did not shy away from engaging in such banter.

Raphael: His dedication was enormous. His family will not forget the moments, in which he disappeared on Christmas day, because he "needed to fix some bugs". It gave him great pleasure to develop and use his software, and he wanted to help others to also experience this joy. "If you are happy, I am happy!" was one of his sayings. He took every opportunity to work on his projects, even while in the hospital.

Matthias:With his death on 3 August 2023 the Free Software community lost a person who enabled thousands of people to contribute efficiently to software freedom. We regret that he was not able to live longer with his beloved turtles, finishing his plans for a vacuum robot that could clean stairways, fixing bugs, implementing new features for the users of his software, and being here with us.

Raphael: For his remarkable contributions to software freedom the European SFS Award 2024 goes posthumously to Bram Moolenaar, the creator of Vi IMproved -- or VIM.

Matthias: So, please join us in a big round of applause for Bram Moolenaar.

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YH4F 2024 winners +++ Apple litigation page +++ SFSCON ‘24

It's November and our team heads to Bolzano for SFSCON, still thrilled by the inspiring 2024 Youth Hacking 4 Freedom award ceremony! Last weeks we’ve also launched a new page to keep you updated on the latest developments in our involvement with the Apple vs. EC litigation. Find out the latest updates on Router Freedom, REUSE and more!

Table of contents

• Quote of the Month
• Winners of the 2024 Youth Hacking 4 Freedom announced
• Apple vs. European Commission: the FSFE launches a page with comprehensive information
• Where the FSFE Shapes the Future: SFSCON 2024!
• Exceptions against Router Freedom undermine users’ rights in Italy
• REUSE: Specification 3.3 and version 5.0.0 of the tool coming soon
• Ada & Zangemann: inventions from children!
• Back to the stages
• Contribute to our Newsletter

Quote of the Month

“The final word on which apps you use on your device should be yours. Which is why the EU ordered Apple to open up iOS devices to rival app stores, something Apple categorically refuses to do. Apple’s “plan” for complying with the DMA is, shall we say, sorely lacking (this is part of a grand tradition of American tech giants wiping their butts with EU laws that protect Europeans from predatory activity, like the years Facebook spent ignoring European privacy laws, manufacturing stupid legal theories to defend the indefensible)”

Cory Doctorow, on an article about the FSFE intervention in the Apple vs. EC litigation

Winners of the 2024 Youth Hacking 4 Freedom announced

The 2024 edition of the Youth Hacking 4 Freedom (YH4F) competition, organised by the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE), successfully concluded with an inspiring award ceremony weekend in Brussels. Young developers from all over Europe were recognised for their Free Software projects and presented their work to an audience that included their families, jury members, and new-found friends.

The six winning projects, developed by young people aged between 14 and 18 and presented at the 2024 award ceremony, are: a federated social network, an app to help dementia patients, software for finding events and connecting with people in your area, a unique rhythm game, and an app for sharing sheets of music and lyrics.

YH4F is a unique programming contest designed to give Europeans aged 14 to 18 the opportunity to showcase their programming skills and creativity by developing Free Software projects.

Apple vs. European Commission: the FSFE launches a page with comprehensive information

The FSFE is intervening for Free Software in a key court case involving Apple and the European Commission. Apple is trying to avoid obligations derived from the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The FSFE seeks to hold Apple accountable under the DMA in a developer-friendly way.

The decision to intervene in this case was not made lightly. But how could we stand by while the Free Software movement faces this affront? Yes, we decided to take action. We have just launched a dedicated website with comprehensive information about the case: https://fsfe.org/activities/apple-litigation/.

We assert Apple should compete based on trustworthiness. Developers and users alike should benefit from alternative services and products, not just those offered, and controlled by Apple. Our plea is for fair competition, IT security, and consumer protection.

More people need to be aware of this court case. We are asking you to help spread the word! After reaching out, please share your experiences with us.

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Where the FSFE Shapes the Future: SFSCON 2024!

We are excited to be back for the South Tyrol Free Software Conference (SFSCON) on 8 and 9 November! SFSCON is the place to be if you’re passionate about Free Software. Whether you’re a seasoned developer, a curious newcomer, or a decision-maker, join us to learn, share, and get inspired by Free Software in Bolzano.

As well as a booth full of promotional material and merchandising, we will also be running talks and workshops, including a session on our DMA legal case and the urgent need for sustainable, long-term financial support. We will also find out who will receive the 2024 European SFS Award! Hope to see you at the NOI park for some great discussions!

Exceptions against Router Freedom undermine users’ rights in Italy

In 2018 Italy implemented Router Freedom. However regulatory decisions in 2019 and 2023 introduced exceptions for fiber networks. The FSFE has now urged Italy’s telecom regulator, AGCOM, to remove these restrictions and fully restore users' rights to choose their own equipment to connect to fiber networks.

REUSE: Specification 3.3 and version 5.0.0 of the tool coming soon

REUSE makes it easier to license code as Free Software by providing the tools and documentation that developers need. Developers can apply standards-compliant and comprehensive licensing information to their projects without needing to be legal experts.

In a few days, we will release new versions of this project started in 2017 to make licensing easy, comprehensive, unambiguous, and machine-readable. REUSE consists of a specification that standardises licensing, a tool that helps achieve and verify compliance with the specification, and documentation that helps developers through the process. The new specification and tool will contain many small improvements to make the process of licensing your code easier than ever.

Ada & Zangemann: inventions from children!

"Now, you can enjoy the Ada & Zangemann movie in English and start dreaming up all the amazing inventions you’d love to create! After watching the movie, some students from a local school did just that, and they shared their creations with us!

The cold season has arrived, and our brand-new FSFE zipped hoodies are here to keep you cozy! Don’t miss the final days to pre-order—place your order by Monday, 11 November, at 23:59 CET to collect your hoodie at 38C3 or FOSDEM. You can also order in a group to get delivery to your address with free shipping. Available in sizes XS to 4XL, in blue or black, choose your hoodie and preferred pick-up option.

Back to the stages

On October 26 2024, Dario Presutti, FSFE Project Manager, took part in the Linux Day Milan 2024. The event took place at the Bicocca University of Milan and was organised by two Free Software student associations and the Italian Linux Society. This day was a great opportunity with an enthusiastic crowd, including young newcomers. There were a Public Money? Public Code! talk and a live reading of Ada and Zangemann. With I Love Free Software posters and Ada’s story as conversation starters, we connected with attendees passionate about Free Software in education, sparking discussions about collaboration and awareness for FSFE's initiatives.

Our local group in Poland recently had a fantastic time at Jesień Linuksowa (Linux Autumn), where they had a FSFE information booth! This annual event, organized by the Polish Linux Users Group (PLUG), is a major gathering for GNU/Linux and Free Software enthusiasts and one of the largest events of its kind in Poland. We’re thrilled to have connected with so many passionate members of the community!

38c3… here we come!We’re thrilled to announce our participation in the upcoming 38C3 in Hamburg, happening from December 27 to 30! Our team has just bought their tickets!Just as in past years, FSFE will be part of the Bit&Bäume / about:freedom assembly. Join us at our booth for exclusive merch, information materials, and engaging activities! We’re excited to participate with lightning talks and workshops, and, of course, our daily Free Software song gathering. If you’re part of the FSFE Community and planning to attend, please reach out!

And don’t forget: you have until November 11 to pre-order our new zip hoodies, available for pickup at the Congress.

Before we see you in Hamburg, we have several event going on! Check out all of them in fsfe.org/events!

Contribute to our Newsletter

We would love to hear from you. If you have any thoughts, pictures, or news to share, please send them to us at newsletter@fsfe.org. You can also support us, contribute to our work, and join our community. We would like to thank our community and all the volunteers, supporters, and donors who make our work possible, with a special mention to our translators who make it possible for you to read this newsletter in your mother tongue.

Your editor, Ana

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Where the FSFE Shapes the Future: SFSCON 2024!

We are excited to be back for the South Tyrol Free Software Conference (SFSCON) on 8 and 9 November with talks, workshops and a booth! SFSCON is the place to be if you’re passionate about Free Software and want to dive into discussions on key topics, including the need for sustainable, long-term funding for Free Software projects. Come to Bolzano to learn, connect, and be inspired!.

As one of Europe’s most established annual events on Free Software in Italy, SFSCON promotes the use of Free Software in digital infrastructure as a tool to achieve innovation and competitiveness. Taking place in November, the conference features a dynamic line-up of leading experts, workshops, and discussions to highlight current trends, challenges, and opportunities within the Free Software community.

SFSCON is also the place where the European SFS Award 2024 is presented. This recognition, from the FSFE and the Linux User Group Bozen-Bolzano-Bulsan, honours outstanding Free Software developers who have significantly advanced the spread and advocacy of Free Software across Europe. Last year the award went to Nextcloud founder Frank Karlitschek. Upon learning the name of this year’s recognition, our colleague Lucas Lasota will take the stage to deliver a keynote speech.

As in previous editions, the FSFE will also contribute with talks and workshops, including a session on our DMA litigation case and the pressing need for sustainable, long-term financial support. You can also stop by our booth to chat with us, pick up some promotional materials, browse our merchandise, or simply say hello! Explore the entire SFSCON 2024 Programme to discover all activities planned for this year’s edition. Join us at the NOI Techpark in Bolzano!

Diversity at SFSCON: Empowering Women in Tech and Sparking Kids’Coding Curiosity

Women in tech: Let’s spark more Adas in our tech world! 9 November, 09:40h. - Seminar 2 In this workshop we will dive into the possibilities of encouraging women, especially girls, to thinker and to code. We will explore ways to promote diversity and gender equity in the Free Software community and beyond. We encourage you to join us to share your experiences, ideas and perspectives, and collaborate in creating a more inclusive and Free registration is required for this event!

Let’s spark children’s interest in coding: Our experiences and how you can contribute 8 November, 17:40h. - Seminar 2 How do we ensure that the next generation is motivated and capable of shaping technology for society’s benefits? The FSFE’s President Matthias Kirschner will present how we can spark children’s and teenagers’ interest to tinker, experiment and program. Furthermore you will see how fulfilling those activities can be for yourself.

Ada & Zangemann: German reading and Italian children workshopThe small ones also have a place at SFSCON! On the morning of the first day, school kids will enjoy the reading, in German, of the illustrated book 'Ada & Zangemann: A Tale of Software, Skateboards, and Raspberry Ice Cream'. This book inspire children's interest in tinkering and encourage shaping technology.The next day, on 9 November, there will be a workshop in Italian for kids aged 7 to 10 t to tinker and code.

NGI: A successful EU initiative that shows the need for sustainable, long-term financial support for Free Software

Lessons from the EU’s Next Generation Internet Initiatives: What We've Learnt From Looking At 500 Free Software Projects 8 November, 14:00h. - Seminar 1 Lina Ceballos, our Policy Project Manager will speak about some simple trends in Free Software legal and licensing that we’ve observed over the years in independent Free Software projects and their developers, and how these affect aspects of the Free Software ecosystem.

NGI: No more EU funding for Free Software?! 8 November, 14:40h. - Seminar 2 Later that same day, in the Seminar 2, Alexander Sander, FSFE’s Senior Policy Consultant will show the urgent need for sustainable, long-term financial support for Free Software to ensure Europe’s technological independence. The decision to cut funding resulted in a loss of €27 million for software freedom. Since 2018, the European Commission has supported the Free Software ecosystem through NGI, that provided funding and technical assistance to Free Software projects. The ease with which this funding was excluded underlines this need.

Policy and Software Freedom

CRA & PLD Liability rules and Software Freedom 8 November, 11:40h.- Seminar 1 With the Cyber Resilience Act and Product Liability Directive liability rules for software have been introduced with a broad exception for Free Software. In this talk Alexander Sander will discuss what this new regulation means for software freedom in future and what happens at this stage and how to be involved in implementation.

We went to court against Apple – a case for Software Freedom: Breaking lock-ins over devices with Free Software 8 November, 12:40h. - Seminar 1 Lucas Lasota, FSFE’s Legal Programme Manager will explain why FSFE’s litigation against Apple represents a key case for Software Freedom. The talk will present how Device Neutrality – a solution to enable end-users to bypass gatekeepers in order to run Free Software independently of the control exercised by hardware manufacturers is at stake.

Tackling Openwashers, Freeloaders and Cuckoos: How to safeguard the Free Software market against unfair competition 8 November, 16:00h. - Seminar 1 Companies that produce and sell Free Software face a problem: some competitors use problematic means to compete, making their products cheaper and winning bids. This kind of market behaviour is increasingly becoming a threat for Free Software producers. In this talk Johannes Näder, Senior Project Manager, will take a closer look at such problematic practices and show why they harm Free Software manufacturers and the Free Software ecosystem., before discussing ways to limit their success.

Diving into the Fediverse

Knitting Our Internet workshop 9 November, 10:40h. - Seminar 2 Starting with the “Knitting Our Internet” workshop, we will dive in into the history of the Internet, and how it is a suitable place for collective re-imagination of participatory, decentralized networks. The workshop questions the very essence of today’s social media, exposing the critical limits posed by centralization, monopoly, and surveillance.

about:Fediverse 11 November, 11:40h. - Seminar 2 In this talk, Tobias Diekershoff, FSFE’s System Administrator will give a short introduction to the Fediverse of 2024 and how it started to evolve in 2008. A network where users can share and interact with each other regardless of the platform they use. What is possible in the Fediverse of 2024 today? What will be possible in the future? And how can you get started today?

Use SFSCON sharepic generator to get your personal image! Generate your unique picture here: https://sharepic.fsfe.org/#sfscon

Community Building

Let’s share our love for Free Software: I love Free Software Day 2025 8 November,16:40h. - Seminar 2 We often underestimate the power of a simple Thank You. Join Ana Galán, Senior Project Manager, in this talk where she presents how Free Software contributors do important work for our society. The “I Love Free Software Day” on 14 February is the perfect opportunity for you to express your special gratitude. Since 2010, we have celebrated this wonderful annual event with an ever-growing and diverse community.

The FSFE Italy Project from Understanding to Testing: How I applied design-thinking to re-design the Italian Free Software Community 8 November, 14:20h.- Seminar 2 The role of Deputy Coordinator Italy within the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) was born in 2022 out of the need of re-establishing the presence of the Foundation on the territory. The project followed a human centric approach, moving along the five core stages of design-thinking. The goal of Marta Andreoli,from the FSFE, is to describe the FSFE Italy project and the design-thinking approach adopted.

Best examples of Open Communities 8 November, 17:20h.- Crane Hall In this BOF (Birds of a Feather) meeting, we will discuss strategies for fostering community growth and enhancing member involvement. We will explore optimal settings and practices that support sustainable community development. Participants are encouraged to share their experiences and insights, providing an opportunity to learn from one another and collaborate on best practices.

Italian Community Meeting: voices of Free Software: connect, learn, inspire! 9 November, 10:20h.- Seminar 3 You are invited to join the volunteers, supporters, and friends of the Italian FSFE Community! Join us to learn from one another, find inspiration, and tackle future challenges together in the realm of Free Software. As a volunteer, you have a platform to share your story, discuss the most pressing topics surrounding Free Software, and connect with fellow enthusiasts. We encourage you to collaborate with the community on common initiatives and work together to forge new paths forward.

That’s Not All Folks!

During these two days, feel free to visit our booth to grab some free stickers, learn more about our campaigns and initiatives, or just stop by to say hello! Our team will be there greeting you and explaining, in different EU languages, more about our initiatives!In addition, our partnership with the ITS Academy Last and the Edulife Foundation will continue, so we will meet a second year of ITS students during SFSCON: we will welcome them in an official meeting and give them some recommendations for talks to attend so they can make the most out of it.

See all of you at SFSCON!

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Winners of the 2024 Youth Hacking 4 Freedom Announced

The six winning projects, developed by young people aged between 14 and 18 and presented at the 2024 award ceremony are: a federated social network, an app to help dementia patients, software for finding events and connecting with people in your area, a unique rhythm game, and a WebApp for sharing sheets of music and lyrics.

The winners of 2024 YH4F posing with their awards during the Award Ceremony in Brussels, photo taken by Nico Rikken, @CC-BY

The third edition of the Youth Hacking 4 Freedom (YH4F) competition, organised by the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE), has successfully concluded with an inspiring award ceremony weekend in Brussels. Young developers from all over Europe were recognised for their Free Software projects and presented their work to an audience that included their families, jury members, and new-found friends. YH4F is a unique programming contest designed to give Europeans aged 14 to 18 the opportunity to showcase their programming skills and creativity by developing Free Software projects. After six months of intensive programming, the jury selected the top six projects. These winners were invited to Brussels for the award ceremony, where they had the chance to present their projects and participate alongside their peers, jury members and their relatives in a weekend filled with engaging activities.

2024 Youth Hacking 4 Freedom winners

One again this year's competition attracted remarkable entries, each highlighting the technical talent, creativity, and dedication of its young developer. The six winning projects reflect a diversity of innovative ideas that successfully transform into impressive software solutions by the end of the programming phase.

“We are incredibly proud of this year’s winners and their outstanding contributions to Free Software. The diversity among them, whether in age, country of origin, or gender, truly stands out. We're particularly excited to see that not only young men are stepping into the world of programming", said Alexander Sander, FSFE senior policy consultant and YH4F project manager. "Each year, we are increasingly impressed by their passion, creativity, and dedication. These young developers are proving that Free Software empowers them to shape the world they want to live in. It’s inspiring to see their projects tackling real challenges within their communities and beyond."

The six winners were awarded cash prizes ranging from €4,096 to €1,024. Here are the winning projects of the 2024 Youth Hacking 4 Freedom competition:

• Ultimate Hacker Award: Gaspard with ‘Versia’, a federated social network based on the Versia protocol. (€4,096)
• Elite Hacker Award: Sofía with ‘Identity’, an app that helps people in palliative care or suffering from dementia to save their most meaningful memories. (€2,048)
• Awesome Award: ‘Eventfully’, a team project by Konrad, Luis, Benedikt, Dorothea, Leonie and Jona: a software to find and explore events in your area, connect with others, and learn more about culture, technology and other topics from one website.(€1,024)
• Creative Hacker Award: Manuel with ‘YLLM4F (Youth Large Language Models 4 Freedom)’, a platform, that combining three advanced language tools, ensures that chatbots interact in a youth-friendly way. (€1,024)
• Epic Game Award: Corentin, Edmond and Tipragot with ‘Beats into shapes’, a rhythm game where you forge items with the sound of music.(€1,024)
• Community Support Award: Tobias with ‘PraiseLink’, a WebApp for sharing sheets and lyrics of music. It can be used for singing choirs or live performance groups.(€1,024)

Find more about the projects

YH4F winners participating in the workshop that took place during the Awards Ceremony weekend, photo taken by Nico Rikken, @CC-BY

Empowering Europe’s next generation of developers

The Youth Hacking 4 Freedom competition continues to grow, attracting more and more young people who share a passion for programming. They all share the interest in Free Software and the desire to take control of their technology. In an era where digital tools shape every aspect of our lives, it is vital that future generations have the knowledge and ability to create, modify, use, and share software they rely on. By empowering young developers to create and contribute to Free Software, YH4F helps foster a culture of openness, transparency, and software freedom.

This initiative is made possible through the generous financial support of our donor, Reinhard Wiesemann, and the sponsorship of OpenSSF

If you want to join YH4F 2025 edition you can already sign up by registering here. The coding period is from 01.01.2025 to 30.06.2025. Details for the next edition will be shared soon on fsfe.org and yh4f.org.

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