Fachtag „Public Money? Public Code! in der Praxis”: Digitale Souveränität braucht Freie Software!

Fachtag der FSFE zu „Public Money? Public Code!“ verdeutlicht: Beschaffung von und Investitionen in Freie Software sind elementar für Innovation und digitale Souveränität. Nur durch Freie Software (auch bekannt als Open Source) können Abhängigkeiten der öffentlichen Verwaltung abgebaut werden.

Podiumsdiskussion beim Fachtag „Public Money? Public Code! in der Praxis” CC-BY-SA 4.0. von Nico Rikken für die FSFE.

Am Dienstag, 08.04.2025, fand in Essen der Fachtag „Public Money? Public Code! in der Praxis“ der Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) statt. Experten aus Verwaltung und Zivilgesellschaft diskutierten über aktuelle Herausforderungen und Lösungen auf dem Weg zu digitaler Souveränität. Bei der Veranstaltung bestand Einigkeit, dass öffentliche Software-Beschaffung dem Prinzip „Public Money? Public Code!“ folgen muss: Mit öffentlichen Geldern finanzierter Code soll für alle unter einer Freien-Software-Lizenz zur Verfügung stehen.

Zudem braucht es nachhaltige und sichere Investitionen in Freie Software sowie eine intensivere Zusammenarbeit der öffentlichen Verwaltung mit Softwareprojekten aus dem Freie-Software-Ökosystem und mit der Zivilgesellschaft. Nur dies ermöglicht Innovation und digitale Souveränität. Hierfür muss auf lokaler und kommunaler Ebene, aber auch im Bund und der EU gehandelt werden.

Christian Nähle, zivilgesellschaftlicher Akteur und Geschäftsführer der Initiative Do-FOSS, stellte in seinem Beitrag die erfolgreiche Arbeit der letzten Jahre in Dortmund vor, wo es gelang, das Prinzip „Public Money? Public Code“ erfolgreich in der Stadtpolitik zu verankern:

„Gerade Kommunen haben jetzt die Chance, die Unabhängigkeit und Kontrollierbarkeit ihrer digitalen Infrastruktur durch Freie Software kosteneffizient voranzutreiben. Dortmund hat in den letzten Jahren hinsichtlich ‚Public Money? Public Code!‘ Erfahrungen gesammelt, auf die andere Städte und Gemeinden jetzt zurückgreifen können, um einen ähnlich erfolgreichen Weg einzuschlagen. Deswegen gilt es jetzt aktiv zu werden, sich zu vernetzen, Abhängigkeiten abzubauen und digitale Souveränität herzustellen.“

– Christian Nähle, Geschäftsführer, Do-FOSS

In Hinblick auf bestehende Abhängigkeiten deutscher Verwaltungen und die aktuellen Auseinandersetzungen um die USA erklärte Jutta Horstmann, Vorsitzende der Geschäftsführung Zentrum für Digitale Souveränität der Öffentlichen Verwaltung (ZenDiS) GmbH, im Rahmen der Veranstaltung:

„Wir können uns kritische Abhängigkeiten unserer öffentlichen IT-Infrastruktur von den USA nicht länger leisten. Die öffentliche Verwaltung muss zwischen Alternativen wählen können, sie muss mitgestalten und auf Anbieter Einfluss nehmen können. Am besten geht das mit Open-Source-Software. Wir fordern daher einen verpflichtenden, schrittweise steigenden Mindestanteil von Open-Source-Software bei der Software-Beschaffung der öffentlichen Hand.“

– Jutta Horstmann, Vorsitzende der Geschäftsführung, ZenDiS

Die künftige Bundesregierung muss „Public Money? Public Code!“ verankern und Freie Software langfristig finanzieren

Auch wurden Forderungen an die künftige Bundesregierung formuliert: Sie muss „Public Money? Public Code!“ zum Standard machen, bestehende Initiativen wie etwa das ZenDiS stärken und Mittel für Freie Software zur Herstellung digitaler Souveränität und dem Abbau der Abhängigkeit von proprietären Softwareanbietern zur Verfügung stellen.

Gleichermaßen richtete sich der Blick auf die EU, wo eine Vergaberechtsreform ansteht und über den neuen mehrjährigen Finanzrahmen debattiert wird. Erst im Sommer letzten Jahres wurden Gelder für Freie-Software-Projekte gestrichen – ein klarer Schritt in die falsche Richtung.

„Wir fordern eine nachhaltige und sichere Finanzierungen Freier Software, um digitale Souveränität zu ermöglichen, Abhängigkeiten der Verwaltungen Europas aufzulösen und Interoperabilität herzustellen. Dies kommt allen zugute: Der europäischen Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft, Zivilgesellschaft und einer digital unabhängigen und souveränen Verwaltung. Dies muss bei der Reform des Vergaberechts ein Leitmotiv werden. In Europa und im Bund müssen Mittel für Freie Software nachhaltig zur Verfügung gestellt und abgesichert werden.“

– Johannes Näder, Senior Policy Project Manager, FSFE

Weitere Informationen zum Fachtag „Public Money? Public Code! in der Praxis“ sind hier zu finden.

Fachtag „Public Money? Public Code! in der Praxis” CC-BY-SA 4.0. von Nico Rikken für die FSFE.

Die FSFE hat bereits im vergangenen Dezember im Rahmen der Anhörung „Open Source“ im Digitalausschuss des Deutschen Bundestags in einer Stellungnahme ausführlich erläutert, wie die öffentliche Verwaltung durch Freie Software digital unabhängig werden kann. An die künftige Bundesregierung hat die FSFE vier Kernforderungen formuliert: „Public Money? Public Code!“, eine sichere, langfristige Finanzierung für Freie Software, Kompetenzaufbau und Statistiken zum Fortschrittsmonitoring.

Freie Software und „Public Money? Public Code!“

Freie Software gibt allen das Recht, Programme für jeden Zweck zu verwenden, zu verstehen, zu verbreiten und zu verbessern. Durch diese Freiheiten müssen ähnliche Programme nicht komplett neu programmiert werden und dank transparenter Prozesse muss das Rad nicht ständig neu erfunden werden.

Bei großen Projekten können Expertise und Kosten geteilt werden und Anwendungen stehen allen zur Verfügung. So wird Innovation gefördert und mittel- bis langfristig Steuergeld gespart. Abhängigkeiten von einzelnen Anbieterinnen werden minimiert und Sicherheitslücken können leichter geschlossen werden.

Die Free Software Foundation Europe fordert daher mit über 200 Organisationen und Verwaltungen „Public Money? Public Code!“ – Wenn es sich um öffentliche Gelder handelt, sollte auch der Code öffentlich sein! Weitere Informationen zur Initiative sind auf der „Public Money? Public Code!“-Webseite zu finden.

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Restrictions on our Freedom to Study Software: A Legal Case Study from Poland

Software is a major component of modern life, affecting large parts of our lives. When software is embedded in vehicles, the ability to control our digital technology becomes even more important in the name of public safety. Despite that, a recent court case in Poland highlights how the law, and legal processes, can sometimes work against that.

A NEWAG train. CC BY-SA 3.0 - Travelarz

The Incident At The Center of the Court Case

Back in 2022, a number of locomotives made by the Polish train manufacturer Newag were experiencing technical difficulties and were unable to start, thus rendering them in need of maintenance. The Polish railway company operating those specific locomotives sent them to the rail yard SPS for repairs (instead of directly to Newag), who in turn found that software issues were responsible for preventing the trains from operating normally. When SPS was unable to resolve the software issues, one of their engineers reached out to the Dragon Sector team for help, after finding out about them online.

The three main parties of the case:

1. Newag S.A. (“Newag”), a Polish train manufacturer;
2. Serwis Pojazdów Szynowych (“SPS”), a third party providing rail maintenance and repair services; and
3. Dragon Sector, a team of security researchers and ethical hackers

Dragon Sector then conducted a cybersecurity assessment of the trains in question, and were able to identify the problem. According to them, the issue arose due to “locks” placed on the computer systems operating on the problematic locomotives, which they were able to “unlock” in the affected trains. Dragon Sector alleged that these locks made the systems on the trains cease to function properly when they were geo-located to have entered third party rail yards not approved by Newag, as was the case when they were delivered to SPS for repairs.

In response, Newag denied these allegations, and countered that they were a smear campaign against the company by their competitors, despite Dragon Sector’s conclusions being deemed trustworthy by the Computer Emergency Response Team of Poland, also known as CERT Polska. Newag further stated that they believed that the computer systems were unlawfully accessed by Dragon Sector, and the trains must be taken out of service as Newag could no longer guarantee their safe operation. In response, Dragon Sector stated that while they had identified vulnerabilities in the train systems, they had refrained from making any unauthorized changes to the software or compromising the functionality of the trains.

The Case in the Polish Courts

The dispute eventually went to trial in August 2024 in the district court of Warsaw, when Newag brought a suit copyright infringement against both SPS and Dragon Sector, as well as an allegation of defamation. Surprisingly, despite what Newag had alleged pre-trial, they officially conceded at trial that Dragon Sector did not modify the software on the affected trains in question. The lawsuit nevertheless proceeded on the basis of Dragon Sector’s alleged unauthorized access and analysis of Newag’s software.

This case is important as it highlights issues that go beyond a simple copyright dispute. In closely examining Dragon Sector’s actions, any decision by the court will also have to comment on the role of cybersecurity research and investigation activities in identifying, reverse engineering, and reporting security issues, as well as how all of this can be done in a responsible and legal manner. Depending on the outcome of the case, this may have a chilling effect on communities who play critical roles in cybersecurity, as well as on the exercise of the Freedom to Study.

Criminalization of Unauthorized Access To Computer Systems

Software is so entrenched in daily life, and affects our lives far beyond just our engagement with our digital gadgets. In this specific court case, it affects the functionality of public transportation, and even potentially the safety of Newag’s trains and the passengers who ride in them. It is therefore reasonable for the public at large to have some expectation of transparency in how the software controlling these trains functions, so that vulnerabilities can be quickly discovered and rectified. Restricting the freedom to study and improve the code to a closed off proprietary ecosystem not only limits the number of people who are able to identify such vulnerabilities to a select group, but also makes unauthorized entry the only option for those who are motivated to fully understand how the software works.

In the EU, unauthorized access of computer systems is classified as a criminal offense, as seen in Directive 2013/40/EU (Directive 2013/40/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 August 2013 on attacks against information systems and replacing Council Framework Decision 2005/222/JHA) (the “Directive”).

The broad and general rules regarding cybercrime and unauthorized access to computer and data systems are largely set out in this Directive, which specifically states in its Article 3 that EU member states shall ensure within their jurisdictions that intentional access to “the whole or to any part of an information system” is to be “punishable as a criminal offense, where committed by infringing a security measure”.

Because the rules in the Directive specifically places “unauthorized access” as one of the criteria for cybercrime, it effectively provides some allowance for so-called “ethical hacking” activity.

Generally speaking, ethical hacking is an authorized attempt to gain unauthorized access to a computer system, by using the strategies of malicious attackers. As with any concept, the exact definition will vary among communities. Nevertheless, the many definitions of ethical hacking tend to have a number of things in common:

1. The actions of ethical hackers are authorized;
2. The maintainers of the computer systems targeted by ethical hackers are aware of such actions being undertaken; and
3. Vulnerabilities are identified by ethical hackers with the intention of fixing them.

Ethical hacking is used to help owners of computer systems identify security vulnerabilities before any malicious actors has the opportunity to exploit them. An ethical hacker is therefore usually engaged through an agreement with the maintainer of the computer system, and must abide by the guidelines laid out in the terms of their engagement.

The rules in the Directive are broad and general in nature in order to give EU member states some flexibility in the exact kind of legislation that they adopt. Legislation in each EU member state can therefore contain gray areas or loopholes that allow even certain types of ethical hacking to be viewed as criminal activity, as laws may be drafted too broadly, or without sufficient nuance to take into account all types of digital activity, despite the guidances provided by the Directive. It is therefore imperative that anyone seeking to help maintainers find security vulnerabilities in their computer systems check the relevant laws in their jurisdiction to determine the limits of what they legally can and cannot do. This holds true even in non-EU jurisdictions.

For example, the German criminal code (Strafgesetzbuch – the “StGB”) has a very general and broad definition of what constitutes an illegal access to a computer or data system. Under Section 202a of the StGB, unauthorized access to data is criminalized, regardless of intent, and even when such access is done so for beneficial purposes. This section of the StGBn in particular exposes those who are looking to find cybersecurity vulnerabilities in computer systems to a risk of criminal liability should they disclose security flaws.

EU States Adopting Looser Restrictions

Nevertheless, some EU member states are considering or have already instituted legislation to support not only ethical hacking activities (where authorization for finding access to the computer system is granted), but also for certain types of cybersecurity research and investigation that are conducted in good faith, despite not having the authorization of the owner or maintainer of the computer system in question.

For example, the Federal Ministry of Justice in Germany is currently proposing amending Section 202a of the StGB to allow conditions of security research to be exempt from criminal penalty. Specifically, the Ministry is proposing adding provisions to Section 202a that would specify additional conditions under which security research is deemed to be statutorily “authorized” and therefore exempt from criminal penalties. In the eyes of the Ministry, this would remove the risk of criminal liability for those who engage in such security research activity, thereby reducing unchecked security vulnerabilities in sectors that can affect public safety.

Such loosening of restrictions to accommodate cybersecurity research can also be seen more robustly in Belgium. In February 2023, a whistleblower law (Klokkenluiderswet) entered into force to allow a natural or legal person (which would include entities such as a Dragon Sector-type collective) to investigate the computer systems of any Belgian organization for vulnerabilities, even if the organization in question has not consented. Such activity is however only legal under the Klokkenluiderswet if four conditions are all met:

1. The person investigating the computer system cannot have the intent to cause harm or to obtain illegitimate benefits from their activities;
2. Any uncovered cybersecurity vulnerability must be reported as soon as possible to the Center for Cyber Security Belgium (the “CCB”);
3. The activity must not go further than what is necessary and proportionate to what is required to uncover a vulnerability; and
4. Any information about vulnerabilities uncovered as a result of the investigation shall not be disclosed to the broader public without the consent of the CCB.

The Big Picture Impact on Software Freedom

This suit brought by Newag highlights why our software freedoms are so important. The Freedom to Study carries so much significance in ensuring transparency and accountability in computer systems that affect our daily life, including in public transportation. A good faith attempt to identify and/or resolve a software problem with real world implications should not be met with harsh punitive actions, such as the threat of criminal sanctions, or lawsuits on the basis of copyright violation. That Dragon Sector (and to a lesser extent SPS) are being sued for unauthorized entry to the computer systems of the faulty locomotives shows that it is important for legal systems to:

1. have clear legal indications about the limits of what can be done, by whom, and under what circumstances, when investigating faults or vulnerabilities in computer systems; and
2. allow for people to investigate cybersecurity issues in good faith, rather than punishing them (either through criminal law or lawsuits).

Lawsuits are never an easy process for any person to go through, even if they are in the right, and have a very good chance of winning the suit. They require the parties involved to put in time, effort, and monetary resources, and they additionally create emotional stress, especially for those for whom such resources are more limited. The maintainer of a small project is going to experience much more worry about legal fees, time spent fighting a case, and the possibility and consequences of losing, than a multi-national corporation.

In this particular lawsuit, Dragon Sector (and SPS) has to consume time and monetary resources, and also endure a great deal of uncertainty to contest Newag’s claims. This in turn generates opportunity costs for all parties involved, in places where those resources could have been better spent. As a party with a more limited pool of resources, Dragon Sector’s opportunity costs can be said to affect them disproportionately, even if they ultimately prevail in court. This can be seen to be even more egregious when considering the concession by Newag that Dragon Sector did not modify the software operating on the affected trains, and that the lawsuit was based only on the unauthorized access and study of the software.

Because of these factors, this lawsuit may have a chilling effect on cybersecurity research and investigation, as well as negative impacts on our broader freedoms to study and to improve. While it is important to enact proportional penalties on cybercrime, the law has to be balanced enough to distinguish between those who act in good faith, and those who do not.

Indeed, as we have seen in the case of Belgium, this legal balancing is something that is possible to accomplish in EU member states, at least in written law. Adopting the Belgian Klokkenluiderswet-style provisions can help to promote transparency and support for the software freedom to study, and a less punitive environment for cybersecurity research. Had such provisions been available under Polish law, it is possible that this lawsuit could have been avoided entirely, by removing the legal basis for Newag’s claims.

For these reasons, it will be interesting to see on which side the verdict lands in this case.

Resources for Disclosure of Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities

In the meantime, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (“ENISA”) has recognized the importance of identifying cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and of EU member states to support these efforts in their domestic laws. To that end, they have prepared a report compiling and analysing the policies around what they call “Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure” (or “CVD”) in the EU. In this context, CVD refers to the process by which cybersecurity researchers and investigators work together and share information. Additionally, ENISA has prepared a guidance document on good practices to follow when participating in vulnerability investigation and disclosure.

These are valuable resources to look further into the existing frameworks in EU jurisdictions, when dealing with questions of cybersecurity research and investigative activities.

If you have a legal or licensing question related to Free Software that is not covered here or in any of our other resources, you can consider asking our License Questions team by sending them an email at licence-questions@fsfe.org.

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DMA: European Commission falls short on interoperability requirements for Apple

Despite initial promising steps, the European Commission’s measures on Apple’s compliance with interoperability procedures under the Digital Markets Act fall short. The less stringent obligations on API documentation and long deadlines for interoperability solutions will impact how Free Software projects get interoperability from Apple.

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

On 19 March 2025, the European Commission published its final decision on the specifications to improve Apple’s “request-driven approach” to comply with DMA’s Art. 6(7). The decision specifies how Apple should grant interoperability to developers seeking access to software and hardware functions controlled by iOS and iPadOS. This decision follows a public consultation in December 2024, in which the FSFE and other stakeholders took part. In the consultation, the FSFE supported the Commission’s intent to draft for Apple a path to achieve “interoperability by design”, including significant requirements for the company related to the quality of API documentation, transparency of the decision making process, and comprehensive reporting obligations.

However, the Commission’s final version introduced a series of less stringent obligations, weakening the requirements imposed on Apple to allow interoperability of its operating systems. In a joint statement with its partners, the FSFE weighs the positives and negatives of the decision and raises concerns over the weaker approach taken by the Commission.

Read the full statement here (EN).

“The Commission’s decision represents a setback for requiring interoperability as a tool for regulating digital markets. The Commission runs the risk of normalising Apple's restrictive, request-based approach to allowing interoperability of operating systems, rather than adoption a regulatory solution that would benefit software freedom of alternative projects and smaller developers. We still remain optimistic that the enforcement of the new rules will cause better interoperability policies for developers, positively impacting end-users. Ultimately we urge the Commission to engage further with civil society and projects providing software alternatives to Apple’s proprietary services.” reports Lucas Lasota, FSFE Legal Programme Manager

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Free Software and CRA - expert talk and discussion on 3 April

On the afternoon of 3 April, Maarten Aertsen (NLnet Labs) will give a presentation on how the Cyber Resilience Act addresses Free Software, particularly in comparison to other New Legislative Framework (NLF)-style regulations in various sectors

As part of the “Dialog für Cybersicherheit” (Dialogue on Cybersecurity) project, the FSFE and the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) are working together with representatives from civil society, academia, industry and public authorities in a project on the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and its implication for Free Software. To ensure clarity, information is needed on who will take on which role and which tasks and processes are to be carried out. In particular, the role of Open Source Stewards and Free Software beyond commercial interest are of particular importance to the project.

As part of the project, experts are invited to give talks and share their expertise to shed light on those questions. On Thursday a presentation by Maarten Aertsen (NLnet Labs) will take place, focusing on how Free Source Software is addressed by the Cyber Resilience Act and in particular on how that is different from other New Legislative Framework (NLF) style regulations in different segments. Afterwards there will be time for a discussion.

The event will take place on Thursday, April 3, 2025 from 3 - 5 p.m. CEST online.

• Access: https://meeting.dialog-cybersicherheit.de/rooms/mvs-9c6-txs-sui/join
• Access code: pj3y9a

Please note that the presentation will be recorded, but not the discussion.

Please note that the data protection policy of the BSI applies.

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Thank you +++ DMA ++ SFP +++ Ada

Spring is here, and so is our monthly newsletter! We want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for your continued support and generous donations. In this issue, we bring you the latest updates on the DMA, a special podcast episode on Router Freedom, highlights from our talks at Chemnitzer Linux Tag, exciting Ada news, and much more.

Table of contents

• Quote of the Month
• You are the backbone of our organization: thank you for your support!
• DMA & Free Software: what Free Software organisations need to know
• SFP#32: Policy and EU: Router Freedom in the EU
• Chemnitz Linux Days: 2025 edition
• Ada & Zangemann: Denmark Premiere in Aarhus
• Public Money, Public Code! symposium
• Youth Hacking 4 Freedom: 2024 participant shares her journey and tips for success!
• From our Italian community!
• Contribute to our Newsletter

Quote of the Month

“Free Software is core to the mission of the Internet Archive Europe. We are thrilled to support the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) to help this movement thrive.”

Brewster Kahle, Board Member Internet Archive Europe

You are the backbone of our organization: thank you for your support!

In summer last year, like many other charitable organisations, we faced significant challenges as donations declined. This was especially true of those FSFE supporters who regularly donate amounts smaller than those listed on our donor website. These donations make up one third of our total funds. As an independent organisation, we rely on all the FSFE supporters who are financing our long-term work for software freedom, and we called for your help.

Your response was incredible. After months of declining support, our community of FSFE supporters stabilized, and even grew again. In March this year we also received unexpected but deeply appreciated donations from Proton and Stichting Internet Archive, which will help us to sustain our mission.

Update of FSFE donors page You will find the donors like Stichting Internet Archive, Proton, the Linuxhotel, and others who donate more than 720€ per year on our donors page. This year we changed the format of the page to increase transparency and accountability: We adjusted the categories, we are highlighting long-term consistent FSFE supporters, and we sort FSFE supporters in the highest category by the amount of the donation instead of alphabetically.

But the challenges have not disappeared. As we move forward, your regular support remains as crucial as ever. Every financial contribution, monthly or yearly, big or small, is crucial for our work for software freedom. Together, we can continue to empower users to control their technology.

So a heartfelt thank you to all of you!

DMA & Free Software: what Free Software organisations need to know

On 24 March 2025, we held an online Q&A session about the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and its impact on Free Software. The event aimed to inform other Free Software organisations about FSFE’s work on the DMA implementation and our litigation efforts against Apple at the Court of Justice of the EU. Finally, participants could ask questions and engage with FSFE’s experts on the topic. It was very motivating to see so many other Free Software organisations discussing this topic and its importance for software freedom. Thanks to everyone who participated!

SFP#32: Policy and EU: Router Freedom in the EU

Have you ever used your personal router to connect to the internet? Recently we achieved a major win in Germany for Router Freedom. In this 32nd episode of the Software Freedom Podcast, Bonnie Mehring, Alexander Sander, and Lucas Lasota talk about Router Freedom and our work to protect freedom of choice regarding internet devices.

Chemnitz Linux Days: 2025 edition

The Chemnitz Linux Days (CLT) is the largest Free Software conference in Germany. It is a long-standing event for education about Linux and Free Software. The event includes workshops, lectures and beginners' talks in the central building of the Chemnitz University of Technology.

The FSFE was present, one more time, at the CLT with an information booth and several talks and presentations. It was a pleasure to see our community there and have the chance to spend the weekend talking about Free Software.

You can watch the recordings from our talks (DE) about the Fediverse, Freedom in Banking, and Openwashing in our Peertube instance.

Ada & Zangemann: Denmark Premiere in Aarhus

Our local Danish group organised the Danish premiere of the film “Ada & Zangemann - A Tale of Software, Skateboards, and Raspberry Ice Cream” on 27 March, with a screening for schools and a second screening for anyone interested. After the film, Matthias Kirschner, the author of "Ada & Zangemann", discussed with the participants the message of the film in relation to topics such as the need for Free Software in schools and its role in both the public and private sectors.

FSFE symposium: Public Money? Public Code! in practice

Free Software is indispensable for public authorities to overcome dependencies and achieve technological sovereignty. Therefore, the need of the hour is "Public Money? Public Code!" The Free Software Foundation Europe's symposium in Essen on 08 April 2025 will open up practical perspectives on how administrations can move forward in this direction.

Youth Hacking 4 Freedom: 2024 participant shares her journey and tips for success!

The 2025 edition of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom (YH4F) is underway. While this edition’s participants work on their own Free Software projects, we sat down with Aya, a YH4F 2024 contestant. She shared her inspiring journey from her first programming experience to creating a project for YH4F. Learn more about her story, and remember: you can still take part in this year’s competition!

From our Italian community

In recent weeks, our volunteer Giacomo Alessandroni organized several Ada & Zangemann book readings in different schools in Italy. The children enjoyed not only the readings but also tinkering in a robotics laboratory.

In Verona, our volunteer Tommaso Marso gave a talk in a high school about the history of the Internet and the Free Software movement, while in Napoli Marta Andreoli, deputy coordinator of FSFE Italy, presented the importance of Free Software in the education field and discussed its future with education institutions.

Contribute to our Newsletter

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

Your editor, Ana

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We demand Router Freedom for Italian Internet users!

The Italian regulator AGCOM will decide whether to limit or consolidate Router Freedom in the country. The FSFE has actively engaged in a coalition of organisations urging the authority to prioritize consumer protection and the rights of end-users to use their own routers/modems in fiber networks.

In February 2025, Italy's telecommunications regulator, AGCOM, initiated a regulatory process to determine whether consumers will have the right to choose and use their own routers/modems in fiber networks (FTTx). The decision involves delimiting the boundary between the public network and the end-user’s private network, technically known as “Network Termination Point” (NTP). While Italy was one of the first countries to formally introduce Router Freedom in 2018, since then, AGCOM has introduced a series of exceptions undermining end-users' rights, negatively impacting how consumers use their own equipment to connect to fiber networks.

No technological necessity to limit freedom of terminal equipment in fiber networks

AGCOM has opened a public consultation asking about the pros and cons of determining the position of the NTP in ways which could either consolidate Router Freedom or undermine this right from the perspective of end-users. The FSFE has submitted its response (EN, IT), advocating for the NTP to be designated at the passive physical point where the public network connects to the end-user's premises. This means freedom of routers and modems for fiber networks.

We highlighted to AGCOM that, in recent years, regulators from Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany have analysed the topic in great detail and have found no objective technological necessity (a requirement in EU law to limit Router Freedom) for fiber networks. Besides, we provided the regulator with comprehensive evidence from our Router Freedom survey that consumers in Italy definitely support Router Freedom as a crucial element of Net Neutrality. Therefore, we called on AGCOM to maintain a unified approach to terminal equipment regulations and protect Italian consumers’ right to choose their internet devices.

Certification requirements against Router Freedom

As we warned back in October 2024, the incumbent operator in Italy, TIM, has introduced certification procedures for wholesale fiber routers in the Italian market, creating barriers to market entry, limiting consumer choice, and ultimately undermining Net Neutrality. We urged AGCOM to push industry actors to explore alternative ways to cover certification costs without shifting the burden onto consumers. Instead of restrictive measures, voluntary, non-discriminatory certification schemes that align with internationally recognized standards should be promoted to ensure fair competition and technological neutrality.

Engaging with our Italian community: an effort for Router Freedom

During the whole process, the FSFE was supported by a network of stakeholders ranging from savvy volunteers, Linux User Groups, maker spaces, consumer organisations, to industry representatives. We activated individuals and friend organisations to take part in the consultation and raise their voice in favour of Router Freedom. We are grateful to all these people who support us and engage in such complex technical and legal procedures in defence of consumers.

If you are in Italy and want to join our movement, learn how you can support our cause!

Further Material

FSFE's position to AGCOM: EN, IT

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SFP#32: Policy and EU: Router Freedom in the EU

Have you ever used your personal router to connect to the internet? Recently we achieved a major win in Germany for Router Freedom. In this 32nd episode of the Software Freedom Podcast, Bonnie Mehring, Alexander Sander, and Lucas Lasota talk about Router Freedom and our work to protect freedom of choice regarding internet devices.

Router Freedom, one of the FSFE's longest running initiatives, ensures the right to use any device to connect to the internet. Lately this freedom was threatened by the largest telecom provider in Germany - however the Bundesnetzargentur ruled in favour of Router Freedom, Germany's telecom regulator, and thereby safeguarded freedom of choice in Germany.

Listen to our 32nd episode and find out what Router Freedom is, how it connects back in history to the 50s, and how long the FSFE and other digital societies have been defending your digital rights. Together with Bonnie, Alex and Lucas you can find out more about the status quo and how you can help to protect Router Freedom.

This is the perfect episode for everybody who wants to support Router Freedom and ensuring the right to choose your own router!

Show notes

• Router Freedom
• Router Freedom in Germany: A victory for consumers!
• Timeline of compulsory routers
• The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC)
• SFP#26: Policy and EU: the need of long-term funding and the NGI case
• 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.

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Share “Ada & Zangemann” with your friends: spread this animated movie and gift the book!

Thanks to our supporters and volunteers, the inspiring story of Ada & Zangemann has been translated into several languages! While we work, and gather funds, to publish the book and the animated movie in even more languages, we need your help: share the movie with your friends and post it around! The book is also a perfect gift for local libraries and schools.

Have you ever struggled to explain why software freedom is important or why we should care about Free Software? Our story “Ada & Zangemann – A Tale of Software, Skateboards, and Raspberry Ice Cream” has proven to be a powerful tool for promoting the importance of controlling our technology, repairing our devices, and tinkering with the hardware and software we use every day. You can now share this animated movie with your friends, embed the video in your website or blog, or spread it in your social media networks.

This illustrated story explains, in a simple yet entertaining way, why it’s crucial for us, as users, to take control of our technology and stop leaving it entirely in the hands of others. While it was originally designed for children, its message resonates just as strongly with adults, making it an effective resource for sparking conversations about digital autonomy and empowerment.

Released as an Open Educational Resource, under a Creative Commons By Share-Alike Licence, Ada & Zangemann: A Tale of Software, Skateboards, and Raspberry Ice Cream describes the interaction of the famous inventor Zangemann and Ada, an inquisitive girl who loves to tinker. As Ada experiments with hardware and software, she realizes how crucial it is for everyone to have control over technology. Since its release, this story has inspired readings in schools, conferences, and events across Europe. And now, with its adaptation into an animated film, screenings are being organized, even in cinemas!

Power of our community, despite not having Hollywood marketing budgets

Help us to make others aware of this story, a useful educational resource for explaining the importance of the right to tinker and the right to repair, as well as self-determination, collaboration, and freedom of speech. Share the movie, currently available in English, French, German, and now also in Spanish! To access the film and download links, visit ada.fsfe.org/movie.

So please don’t wait: send it to friends, e-mail it to your co-workers, and share it online! Every person watching the movie might be an active member of the movement for software freedom in the future.

Want to do more? Organize readings and screenings

Would you like to spark children’s interest in STEM in general and coding in particular? Would you like to talk with them about the importance of software freedom? Then you can host a reading at your local library, screen the film at your child's school, or organize a workshop at a cultural center. For example, a school in Marbella read the story in class, and students wrote letters to Zangemann; in another event, children sketched their own invention ideas; and at several gatherings, kids enjoyed home-made ice cream. Even more: you can gift the book to your local library, so everyone can borrow and read this tale! Let’s help even more people discover Ada’s story!

Visit ada.fsfe.org for all the resources you need to organize a reading, including posters, postcards, and stickers, which we will send you for free! You will also find a presentation to guide your reading and much more.

Ready to take action? Start planning your event today. Don’t forget to share your experience with us! We’d love to see how Ada’s story comes to life in your community!

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Have you heard about YH4F? 2024 participant shares her journey and tips for success!

The 2025 edition of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom (YH4F) is officially underway. While this edition’s participants work on their own Free Software projects, we sat down with Aya, a YH4F 2024 contestant. She shared her inspiring journey from her first programming experience to creating a project for YH4F. Learn more about her story, and remember: you can still take part in this year’s competition!

Youth Hacking 4 Freedom (YH4F),organized by the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE), is a unique programming competition that encourages young people to develop innovative technical projects under one key principle: the project must be Free Software. But YH4F is more than just a contest: it’s a platform for young talent to learn, grow, and make a meaningful impact on their communities.

2025 YH4F are already busy working on their projects and networking with other participants, and meanwhile we like to catch up with past participants to find out what inspired them to take part in this young programming competition and to learn more their projects. This time we spoke to Aya, who told us how she learnt programming and ended up creating a tool to help people with disabilities. Her project aims to improve the daily lives of visually impaired people e and demonstrates the power of technology to create positive change.

FSFE: Hi Aya! First of all, congratulations on your participation in last year’s edition of YH4F! Can you present yourself briefly?

Aya: Hi, my name is Aya. I’m 19 years old and currently living in Barcelona, Spain. Some of my hobbies are karate and chess.

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

Aya: My first experience with programming was back in high school when I worked, with a team on a personal project . It was an exciting challenge. That experience sparked my interest in programming, and I began to enjoy the subject more and more. We couldn’t have completed the project without the Free Software tools available at the time, which played a crucial role in our success.

FSFE: Can you remember when you first used Free Software? Were you, at that time, aware of the freedoms that Free Software offers?

Aya: Initially, I didn’t have much experience with Free Software or fully understand its significance. It wasn’t until I started working on my own projects that I realised how powerful and essential Free Software is for programmers of all skill levels. It gives us the freedom to explore, learn, and create without barriers.

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

Aya: A friend’s mother told me about YH4F, knowing that I enjoy challenges and contests like this. I joined without hesitation, and it was an incredible experience. My favourite part was how much my skills improved in such a short time, thanks to the deadlines that pushed me to stay focused. I also really enjoyed meeting new people during the monthly calls.

FSFE: How did you come up with your project idea? What motivated you to work on it?

Aya: I wanted to demonstrate that today’s technological advancements can significantly improve the lives of people with disabilities, such as blindness. This motivation drove me to create something practical and impactful.

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

Aya: One of the biggest challenges was finding suitable free libraries for implementing both text-to-speech and optical character recognition (OCR) functionalities. Many of the options I found were either limited in features, required paid subscriptions, or were incompatible with my tools. To overcome this, I spent a lot of time researching Free Software solutions and testing different options until I found the right fit.

FSFE:Did you work on it alone?

Aya: Yes, I worked on the project entirely on my own.

FSFE: This project involves both software and mechanical components. What were the key challenges in making sure the software and hardware worked together?

Aya: One of the key challenges was ensuring that the audio and camera drivers were functioning correctly. It took a lot of trial and error, along with watching many YouTube tutorials, to figure out how to get them to work seamlessly.

FSFE: Do you think you will continue working on your project? What would be some next steps you would like to carry out?

Aya: Yes, I plan to continue working on it. My next goal is to make the project more portable. To achieve this, I’m considering running it on a microprocessor like a Raspberry Pi or a similar hardware.

FSFE: Are you planning to improve the documentation so more people can reuse your project

Aya: For now, I’m not focused on the documentation, but it’s something I might prioritise in the future.

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

Aya: Participating in YH4F has been a transformative experience for me. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me discover that I’m capable of overcoming challenges with creativity and determination. It also reinforced my passion for using technology to solve real-world problems and inspired me to continue improving my skills to make a meaningful impact.

FSFE: And last but not least, is there any kind of advice that you would like to give to new participants?

Aya: Don’t leave anything for the last minute! Proper planning and time management are crucial to making the most of this experience. And most importantly, enjoy the process!

Join YH4F This Year!

The 2025 edition of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom started on 1 January, with the programming phase now in fullswing.

Late registration is still possible, and we recommend registering as soon as possible to connect with other participants and make the most of this incredible opportunity. Visit the YH4F website for more details or reach out to the organizers via email.

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FSFE-Fachtag: Public Money? Public Code! in der Praxis

Freie Software ist für Behörden unverzichtbar, um Abhängigkeiten zu überwinden und technologische Souveränität zu erreichen. Das Gebot der Stunde heißt daher „Public Money? Public Code!“ Der Fachtag der Free Software Foundation Europe in Essen am 08.04.2025 eröffnet praktische Perspektiven, wie Verwaltungen in Deutschland in diese Richtung vorangehen können.

Gemeinsam mit Vertreterinnen und Vertretern aus Politik, öffentlicher Verwaltung, Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft und Zivilgesellschaft wollen wir diskutieren, welche Vorteile Freie Software für öffentliche Institutionen auf Kommunal-, Landes- und Bundesebene bringt und welche Herausforderungen sich auf diesem Weg stellen. Der Schwerpunkt wird dabei auf dem Einsatz Freier Software in Kommunen liegen: Wo gibt es schon heute Best Practices, und was lässt sich daraus lernen? Wie kann kommunale Free-Software-Governance aussehen? Welche Möglichkeiten der Kollaboration eröffnen sich durch Freie Software? Was ist bei der Vergabe zu beachten?

Der Fachtag „Public Money? Public Code! in der Praxis“ ist ein Angebot der Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE). Er richtet sich vorwiegend an Entscheidungsträgerinnen, Beschaffer und Multiplikatorinnen aus öffentlichen Verwaltungen in Deutschland sowie an Menschen, die in ihrem Arbeitsalltag mit Verwaltungsdigitalisierung befasst sind.

Die Veranstaltung findet in deutscher Sprache statt. Die Teilnahme ist kostenlos, eine Online-Anmeldung ist jedoch erforderlich. Die Zahl der Teilnehmenden ist begrenzt. UPDATE 25.03.2025: Aktuell gibt es noch Restplätze und die Registrierung ist weiterhin möglich. Teilnahmebestätigungen werden zeitnah verschickt. Es gilt der Code of Conduct der FSFE.

Wir freuen uns auf Ihre Anmeldung!

Veranstaltungsdaten und Anmeldung

Datum: 08 April 2025 Einlass: 10:00 Uhr Fachtag: 11:00 - 16:00 Uhr Ort: Unperfekthaus, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 18-20, 45127 Essen Online-Anmeldung: https://registration.fsfe.org/publiccode-fachtag

Programm

10:00 – Anmeldung und Kennenlernen

11:00 –Begrüßung Johannes Näder / Alexander Sander (FSFE)

11:10 – Digitale Souveränität als Staatsaufgabe Jutta Horstmann (Zentrum Digitale Souveränität, ZenDiS)

11:40 – Eine Stadt gestaltet den Wandel: “Public Money? Public Code!” in der Praxis Christian Nähle (Do-FOSS)

12:00 – Freie-Software-Governance in Kommunen Marc Groß (KGSt)

12:20 – Gute Freie-Software-Beschaffung durch klare Kriterien Bianca Kastl (Stadt Frankfurt am Main)

12:40 – Freie Software erfolgreich beschaffen: Stolpersteine vermeiden, Chancen nutzen! Panel: Johanna Gramlich (FITKO), Jutta Horstmann, Bianca KastlModeration: Alexander Sander (FSFE)

13:15 – Mittagspause

14:15 – Wege aus dem Vendor-Lock-In durch Interoperabilität und Offene Standards Tara Tarakiyee (Sovereign Tech Agency)

14:35 – openCode – die Infrastruktur für digitale Souveränität Leonhard Kugler (ZenDiS)

14:55 – Verwaltung, Zivilgesellschaft, Community: Kollaboration als ErfolgsmodellSimon Strohmenger (CONSUL)

15:15 – Öffentlicher Code braucht öffentliches Geld: Tech-Souveränität nachhaltig sichern Panel: Tara Tarakiyee, Lea Beiermann (ZenDiS), Christian Nähle, Simon StrohmengerModeration: Johannes Näder (FSFE)

16:00 – Kaffee und Networking

17:00 – Veranstaltungsende

Free Software and "Public Money? Public Code!"

Freie Software gibt allen das Recht, Programme für jeden Zweck zu verwenden, zu verstehen, zu verbreiten und zu verbessern. Durch diese Freiheiten müssen ähnliche Programme nicht komplett neu programmiert werden und dank transparenter Prozesse muss das Rad nicht ständig neu erfunden werden. Bei großen Projekten können Expertise und Kosten geteilt werden und Anwendungen stehen allen zur Verfügung. So wird Innovation gefördert und mittel- bis langfristig Steuergeld gespart. Abhängigkeiten von einzelnen Anbieterinnen werden minimiert und Sicherheitslücken können leichter geschlossen werden. Die Free Software Foundation Europe fordert daher mit über 200 Organisation und Verwaltungen „Public Money? Public Code!“ - Wenn es sich um öffentliche Gelder handelt, sollte auch der Code öffentlich sein! Mehr Informationen zur Initiative sind auf der „Public Money? Public Code!" Website zu finden.

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DMA & Free Software: what Free Software organisations need to know

On 24 March the FSFE will conduct an online Q&A session about the Digital Markets Act and its importance for representatives of Free Software organisations. The DMA was designed to limit the power of the "gatekeepers" and boost fairer digital markets. But what does its enforcement mean for Free Software? Join us for this strategic discussion.

Understanding the DMA’s impact on Free Software

The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is the European Union’s regulation to promote fair competition in the digital markets. The law applies to large tech companies exercising “gatekeeper control” in the EU. The DMA imposes on such companies several obligations, like allowing the right to install and uninstall software in devices, prohibition of non-removable pre-installed software, enabling third-party app stores, and access rights via interoperability with software and hardware functions.

This event is specifically designed for members and representatives of Free Software organizations to discuss the opportunities the DMA creates for Free Software, such as enabling alternative app stores, side-loading of applications, and improved interoperability policies.

Additionally, the event will serve as a platform for discussing FSFE’s legal efforts, specifically regarding its litigation against Apple at the Court of Justice of the European Union. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with FSFE experts, ask questions, and explore how their organizations can support and benefit from the DMA’s implementation.

Speakers:

• Lucas Lasota, FSFE Legal Programme Manager
• Jithendra Palepu, Independent Researcher. Volunteer in the FSFE’s legal area

Details:

• When: 24 March 2025, 17:30 (CET)
• Where: FSFE’s online instance

To attend this online event, registration is required. Please fill this form out to register.

Device Neutrality

Although digital devices are ubiquitous today, the number of devices on which users cannot run Free Software is exponentially increasing. The consequence is a growing loss of control over users' technology. Device Neutrality aims to enable end-users to bypass gatekeepers to have a non-discriminatory use of Free Software on their devices.

In 2022, several components, part of the Device Neutrality concept, were included in the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the European Union's largest initiative to regulate gatekeepers in digital markets. Although the law contains the principles for making Device Neutrality a reality, its regulations concern only very large platforms. The DMA establishes obligations for gatekeepers - “dos” and “don'ts” they must comply with - and prescribes fines and penalties for infringements. The DMA encompasses several rules concerning Device Neutrality, including safeguarding the right to uninstall pre-installed software and several measures for preventing lock-in, as well as fostering interoperability and end-user control over personal data.

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Legal Corner+++ FOSDEM recap+++ Ada movie in Spanish

In the last few weeks we published our first Legal Corner article and the recordings of our talks at FOSDEM. We were happy to see pictures from the I Love Free Software Day celebrations and can't wait to meet you at CLT 2025! We are organising an online Q&A session about the DMA and Free Software. The Ada movie is finally available in Spanish!

Table of contents

• Quote of the Month
• Digital Markets Act and Free Software: FOSDEM keynote, Software Freedom podcast and online Q&A session
• Public Money, Public Code! symposium
• Legal Corner: MIA or Dead Contributors - Does It Matter For Your Software Project?
• From Ada’s Workshop: The Latest on Ada & Zangemann
• I Love Free Software Day 2025 celebrations
• FOSDEM 2025: Check out the videos from our talks and listen to our new podcast episode
• Chemnitzer Linux-Tage 2025: we will be there!
• Edulife partnership: one more year teaching Italian students about Free Software
• From our community!
• Contribute to our Newsletter

Quote of the Month

“In Volkswagen Group Spain Distribution we are committed to the development of STEM careers for the new generations. Diversity is especially important because it will ensure that the development of software has a more inclusive perspective and in this regard, "Ada & Zangemann" is a very inspirational book because it is completely aligned with the purpose of our company”

Ricardo Bacchini, People & Organization Director from Volkswagen Group Spain

Digital Markets Act and Free Software: FOSDEM keynote, Software Freedom podcast and online Q&A session

On 24 March 2025, the FSFE is organizing the ‘Online Q&A session – Digital Markets Act and Free Software: everything the Free Software community needs to know’. There we will present our efforts to ensure effective enforcement of the Digital Markets Act, with space for questions from the Free Software community. More info will be published soon, stay tuned!

Meanwhile, you can watch our colleague Lucas Lasota's keynote speech on this topic at FOSDEM 2025 under the title “How we are defending Software Freedom against Apple at the EU's highest court”. Apple is attempting to avoid obligations under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and in this talk, we explained why this case is pivotal for Free Software in Europe and why we should all care.

If you want to know more about Free Software and the DMA, we suggest that you listen to episode 30 of our Software Freedom Podcast, where Bonnie Mehring talks with Marc Prud'hommeaux about the App Fair Project: an alternative iOS marketplace that exclusively distributes Free Software applications. The project's goal is to promote a more accessible and inclusive Free Software ecosystem in iOS.

Public Money, Public Code! symposium

On 8 April 2025, the FSFE is 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: What can best practices look like and where are local administrations already leading the way? What opportunities for collaboration are opened up by Free Software? What challenges arise when awarding contracts? What opportunities does the use of Free Software bring for public administrations?

The event will take place in Essen.

Legal Corner: MIA or Dead Contributors - Does It Matter For Your Software Project?

If your software project has multiple contributions, and a contributor becomes uncontactable or passes away, this can become an issue in certain situations. Here we discuss when a missing or deceased contributor affects your software project, and what options you have.

Check out our article on this topic!

This is the first article in a new series, "Legal Corner".

From Ada’s Workshop: The Latest on Ada & Zangemann

The movie Ada & Zangemann - A Tale of Software, Skateboards, and Raspberry Ice Cream is now available in Spanish! Thanks to our donors, and especially Volkswagen Spain, you can now organize screenings of this inspiring animated story in your community also in Spanish. Help us to spread the word about the movie so in the future young people have the opportunity to tinker, experiment, and code with Free Software as the default.

Prefer a reading instead? The Spanish version of the story is also available in our Git repository.

I Love Free Software Day 2025 celebrations

Hidden projects was the topic of I Love Free Software Day 2025, a day to say thank you to Free Software contributors but also to celebrate, together, our awesome community and appreciate the work of developers, system administrators, translators, community moderators…

This year we had 19 meetings around Europe in our local communities in Albania, Austria, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK! Check out some pictures of the different events!

The hashtag #ilovefs was also a trend on the Fediverse! Thanks to everyone who participated in this day and also those who sent messages thanking Free Software projects!

FOSDEM 2025: Check out the videos from our talks and listen to our new podcast episode

Some occasions are too special to miss, like our February trip to FOSDEM, where we connected with the Free Software community. Even when things didn’t go as planned, it was an energizing boost against the winter blues. Thanks to everyone who joined our DevRooms, attended our talks including our keynote on the Apple litigation, came to our women breakfast, and stopped at the booth.

In our 31st episode of the Software Freedom Podcast, Alexander Sander and Bonnie Mehring discuss the highlights of the two Devrooms that the FSFE co-organized during FOSDEM 2025: the 'Legal and Policy Issues DevRoom' and the 'Funding the FOSS Ecosystem DevRoom'. Find out more about the topics discussed there and tips about what to re-watch.

Chemnitzer Linux-Tage 2025: we will be there!

Once again, we are participating in the Chemnitzer Linux - Tage that will take place on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 March.

On Saturday at 12:00h., the FSFE's Technical Advisor Florian Snow will talk about "Open system, closed doors: Freedom in Banking" (room V5). At 15:00h., Tobias Diekershoff (FSFE System Administrator, Friendica developer) will explore the non-textual areas of the Fediverse (V5). On Sunday at 11:00h., Johannes Näder (FSFE Senior Policy Project Manager) will shed a light on openwashing, the practice of misleading consumers and public authorities by disguising proprietary software products as Free Software (V7)."Ada & Zangemann", the story about the girl Ada who loves to tinker and bravely stands up to the mighty inventor Zangemann, will play a prominent role at this year's CLT: The new animated film will be shown on Saturday and Sunday at 14:00 (W1), and a reading will take place on Saturday at 11:00 (Kinderparadies).We will also host a community meeting at the FSFE booth on Saturday at 12:30. If you're attending the CLT, be sure to stop by to learn about FSFE's current activities, get your copy of the Ada & Zangemann book, or get a new hoodie or shirt!

Edulife partnership: one more year teaching Italian students about Free Software

As part of the FSFE partnership with the Edulife Foundation, Italian students in the ITS Academy LAST project had the opportunity to learn about Free Software. During January and February the FSFE provided educational content covering legal aspects, policy, and public awareness, helping students gain a deeper understanding of Free Software and its significance.

Known as the “IT Free Software Knowledge Project”, this two-year partnership started in November 2023. As part of this academic program, the FSFE delivered educational content about Free Software, with a focus on Free Software legal issues, policy aspects and public awareness in the form of lectures. Besides, the students attended Free Software conferences, such as the SFSCon.

From our community

• There is no cloud, just other people's computers. The Dutch parliament realized this last year and expressed concern over the reliance on foreign IT services. In a recent report the Court of Audit concluded that the Dutch central government started using cloud services without thoroughly considering the implications and risks. The Netherlands local team, who contributed to the discussion participating in several meetings as a stakeholder, is closely following this topic

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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"I Love Free Software Day" 2025: Hidden Projects

In the week of the 14th of February we celebrated the I Love Free Software Day 2025. This year we marked this special day with 19 events in 11 different European countries. Even more, hundreds of people and many organisations joined us in the Fediverse - with a special "Thank you!" note for Free Software projects and contributors. To all who joined us this time: "Thank you" for participating in this 15th edition of the "I Love Free Software Day" ❤️❤️❤️!

In 2025 the FSFE and its local groups focused on hidden Free Software projects for the "I Love Free Software Day". Together with our local groups we wanted to raise awareness of all the hidden Free Software Projects that power our daily infrastructure. Free Software is everywhere and often it is the small projects that become a vital part of our lives - therefore we dedicated this "I Love Free Software Day" to all those projects that are not that prominent, so to shed some light on them ❤️

"I Love Free Software Day" Thank you message by Dario

I Love Free Software Day celebrations 2025

For this year the FSFE's local groups planned several events across Europe. There was a great variety of activities at the different events, also depending on the size of the gathering - there were events from around 10 people to nearly 200 people.

To help the FSFE's local groups with organising all the different events we created a toolkit. The toolkit includes hands on tips and tricks for organising and sharing your event, some presentations on Free Software and the 'I Love Free Software Day' as well as fun games to fill the evening. The kit was a great resource for the organisers to use the available material or to take it as an inspiration for their own material. With this preparation our local groups could get started with organising all the amazing events across Europe ❤️.

Clockwise, picture of Ada & Zangemann postcard" (CC-BY Marta), picture of 'I Love Free Software Day' celebration by FSFE local group Zurich (CC-BY-SA 4.0 FSFE-local-group-Zurich), picture of FSFE staffers playing SuperTuxKart together (CC-BY Matthias Kirschner), Sharepicture of Ana Galan with 'Thank you' message ( CC BY 4.0 Lisa Schmidt)"

New events and new local groups

Tiranë, Albania

For the first time "I Love Free Software Day 2025" was organised in Albania. This event kicked off with several presentations about different Free Software projects and ended with some snacks and drinks. It was a cosy get-together and a great start of 'I Love Free Software Day' celebrations in Albania.

"'I Love Free Software Day' celebration by Tiranë, Albania, CC BY-NC-SA-LibreLabs"

Poland - a local movement started

For several years our local group in Poland has not been active. But as the turn of 2025 approached, this changed. No fewer than three new local groups began celebrating ‘I Love Free Software Day’ in several Polish cities. Those celebrations and gatherings are the foundation of the new activity in the Polish local groups.

"'I Love Free Software Day' celebration by Poznań, Poland, CC0"

Nuremberg celebrations

Among our newest event locations also the FSFE people in Nuremberg started to plan a get together. Nuremberg has very strong Free and Open Source businesses. While SUSE was originally founded in the neighboring city of Fürth, there are now several other Free Software companies based in Nuremberg. Together the local FSFE people, NETWAYs, SUSE, openSUSE, the Geeko Foundation, OpenCloud and the useful check_systemd tool organised a great meeting. During the meeting all the local projects shared their ideas in different talks and it was a great chance to start networking with each other about Free Software. The celebrations were a great way to get in contact with each other and to form new alliances.

Italy and the local Linux User Groups

In 2024 we had a great event in the Italian town Bergamo, which was organised by the FSFE together with the local Linux user group, BGlug. For 2025 we had a re-launch of this event and also several new events across the country. From Bozen-Bolzano to Este, and including one event in Sicilia, which was attended by 180 students. All of those events were possible by the great support of the local Linux User groups and the local FSFE groups.

"'I Love Free Software Day' celebration by BGLug, Bergamo, Biblioteca Tiraboschi CC-BY Marta"

Luxembourg Ville

For the first time there was a local celebration in Luxembourg with Free Software enthusiasts. They shared some knowledge about Free Software, the 'I Love Free Software Day' and many more interesting topics. Through out the celebrations people connected and fortified their local Free Software movement.

"'I Love Free Software Day' celebration Barcelona, Spain, CC-BY Albert Astals Cid"

Next, to all our new events also several ones from the previous years were relaunched and it was a great pleasure to see the people again gathering in Potteries (UK), Nijmegen (Netherlands), Zurich (CH), Barcelona and Madrid in Spain, and the German local groups in Frankfurt and Berlin.

"'I Love Free Software Day' celebration by FSFE local group Zurich CC-BY-SA 4.0 FSFE-local-group-Zurich" "'I Love Free Software Day' celebration by FSFE Netherlands CC0"

Reaching out to the people behind Free Software: Thank you

Again, even though hundreds more non-Free Software enthusiasts have joined the Fediverse in recent years, the #ilovefs made it to the top most used hashtags on the 14th of February. For this, we want to say 'Thank you'! Thank you to all of you who shared their appreciation for Free Software and their gratitude to all free software contributors. There where a lot of great ways that people, projects and organisations took up to share their 'I Love Free Software Day' message in the Fediverse, highlighting some of the infrastructure Free Software projects, like the Internet archive. Even more, this year there were some several creative ways to share the love for Free Software. Take a look at this amazing song done by Musiqueando for the 'I Love Free Software Day: 2025'.

"@Musiqueando singing for the 'I Love Free Software Day'"

For the first time the German based Chaos Computer Club took part in the celebrations and shared a post (DE only) by Bonnie Mehring and Constanze Kurz on their famous CCC webpage. This lent a great visibility to the local groups celebrations. It is amazing to see how much this collaboration highlighted the importance of the day while reaching out to new people.

Brewster Kahle, founder of the Inter archive, and Matthias Kirschner, President of the Free Software Foundation Europe, CC-BY Beatrice Murch

Additionally, for this ‘I Love Free Software Day’ Matthias Kirschner shared a notable recognition of Bram Moolenaar, creator of the Vim text editor. Vim, is a widely recognised and esteemed editor, which is used on countless systems. The work of Bram Moolenaar has played a crucial role in the software freedom movement. Following his passing in 2023, the continued development of Vim by the community ensures that his legacy remains influential – Thank you to all contributors.

"I Love Free Software Day" Thank you message by Matthias to Vim editor, CC-BY-SA 4.0 NOI

Software Freedom Podcast episode with Marc Prud'hommeaux

Of course also for the 2025 celebrations the FSFE recorded a new Software Freedom Podcast episode. For our 30th episode Bonnie Mehring sat down with Marc Prud'hommeaux and discussed the The App Fair Project. Together at FOSDEM they searched and found a quite area to sit down and have a chat about the project, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and how to further level the playing field for Free Software. Take a few moments and listen to our Software Freedom Podcast episode.

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

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SFP#31: Policy and EU: FOSDEM recap

In our 31st episode of the Software Freedom Podcast, Alexander Sander and Bonnie Mehring discuss the highlights of the two Devrooms that the FSFE co-organized during FOSDEM 2025: the 'Legal and Policy Issues DevRoom' and the 'Funding the FOSS Ecosystem DevRoom'. Find out more about the topics discussed there and tips about what to re-watch.

FOSDEM is always a great experience and it is amazing to see how the hard work in organising talks, panels and discussions pays off. Once again the FSFE team, including Alex and Bonnie, had a fantastic time at what continues to be a place to be.

The Legal and Policy Issues DevRoom focuses on current EU and US legislation, and this year with a strong focused on the implementation of the Cyber Resiliance Act. This dedicated DevRoom provided the chance to discuss the worries and thoughts that are raised in the community. It was amazing to see how the DevRoom turned once again into a networking space and provided a source of feedback loop to get in touch with the local Free Software communities and advocates.

On the other hand the Funding the FOSS Ecosystem DevRoom started a new network for all people involved in funding of FOSS projects to connect and share resources. This turn out is really inspiring and a great way to get new discussions started, to learn from each other and to share knowledge - just what Free Software is at is core a great community with four freedoms, to use, study, share and improve. ❤️

This is the perfect episode for everybody who missed FOSDEM or wants to keep the spirit of networking and staying in touch alive for a few more moments!

Show notes

• Recordings from the Legal and Policy Issues DevRoom
• Recording from Funding the FOSS Ecosystem DevRoom
• Get in touch with Alexander Sander
• 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.

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FOSDEM: Celebrating 25 years of community and Free Software

Some ocassions are too special to miss, like the FSFE February trip to FOSDEM, where we connected with the Free Software community. Even when things don’t go as planned, it was an energizing boost against the winter blues. Thanks to everyone who joined our DevRooms, attended our talks including our keynote on the Apple litigation, came to our women's breakfast, and stopped at the booth. Your support means a lot!

This year, we didn’t start FOSDEM on the right foot, as all our merchandise and info materials got lost. But once again, FOSDEM didn’t disappoint! It was great to see you, listen to inspiring talks, engage in discussions around our booth, and spend time together in the evenings.

For FOSDEM 2025, we had a packed agenda: beyond attending many interesting talks, we organized two DevRooms, hosted several talks and a workshop, and were present in many other DevRooms around FOSDEM. We even arranged an informal women’s breakfast. Not to mention our booth, where our staff and volunteers spent two days explaining our work and answering your questions. Unfortunately, we couldn’t show you our great merchandise in person, but you can check it out and order online!

The Legal & Policy Issues DevRoom, which we’ve co-organized for the past five years, took place on Saturday, this time spanning a full day. As always, it was a popular DevRoom, and we’re happy to report that the room was packed throughout the day. Thank you for attending and showing such strong interest in these crucial topics! We look forward to seeing you and our co-organizers again next year for the 14th edition of this very important DevRoom.

If you don’t have time to watch all our DevRoom talks but are interested in the Digital Markets Act (DMA), we highly recommend watching the talk on the App Fair project’s perspective on the DMA, as well as the panel discussion that followed. This session explored the current status of the DMA implementation in Europe and featured the participation of European Commission representatives.

A session not to be missed was led by Tobias Diekershoff, FSFE’s System Hacker and a core developer of the Friendica project, alongside Michael Vogel, another core member of the Friendica development team. They provided a concise introduction to Friendica. Together they highlighted its unique features and how it differs from other systems.

After a packed first day, we kicked off Sunday "on the right bite" with our women’s breakfast. Over the past 25 years of FOSDEM, we’ve seen our community grow increasingly diverse (👏), fostering a more inclusive and welcoming space for everyone! Our breakfast offered a dedicated moment for women* to connect and network away from the bustling conference corridors. Thanks to everyone who attended, and if you’re interested, remember that you can join our FSFE Women group.

FOSDEM is also a great place to tinker and learn new skills. On Sunday morning, our former working student—now volunteer—Darragh Elliot organized the “FSFE Upcycling Android Workshop” with assistance from our volunteer Max Schlüter and System Hacker Tobias Diekershoff.

If you love to tinker and are between 14 and 18 years old, check out Bonnie Mehring’s talk about Youth Hacking 4 Freedom. The fourth edition of this competition is now open for registration, inviting European teenagers to showcase their creativity and programming skills. Participants will have the opportunity to bring their project ideas to life.

The past 25 editions of FOSDEM have shown us that Free Software thrives thanks to a strong community and the dedication of developers and maintainers. However, ensuring the longevity and security of FOSS projects requires sustainable funding models. That’s why the FSFE helped organize the Funding the FOSS Ecosystem devroom, a track that debuted this year on Sunday.

We closed our FOSDEM 2025 participation in style with a keynote by Lucas Lasota on “How we are defending Software Freedom against Apple at the EU's highest court”. Apple is attempting to avoid obligations under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and in this talk, we explained why this case is pivotal for Free Software in Europe and why we should all care.

As we wrap up another unforgettable FOSDEM, remember that you can watch all the talks on the FOSDEM website. From engaging discussions and interesting talks to valuable networking moments, FOSDEM 2025 was a weekend to remember and to share the strength and passion of our movement. Thank you to everyone who joined us! We can’t wait to see you again next year for another inspiring edition!

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Legal Corner: MIA or Dead Contributors - Does It Matter For Your Software Project?

If your software project operates on multiple contributions, and a contributor becomes uncontactable or passes away, this can become an issue in certain situations. Here we’ll discuss when a missing or deceased contributor affects your software project, and what options you have.

Which contributions are copyrightable?

Before anything, when is a contribution copyrightable in the first place? Commonly, software projects that are hosted on popular hosting websites, such as GitHub, GitLab, BitBucket etc, often encompass contributions by multiple contributors. Nevertheless, as only “creative works” can be copyrighted, the extent to which the contribution can be regarded as a “creative work” can be a bit tricky to ascertain. The length of the contribution does not matter because short contributions can also be creative.

Primarily, anything that is accepted as a change into the source code, and modifies the source code can constitute a creative work that is copyrightable. This is the case even if they are minor or small changes; even single line bug fixes with a creative scope is a contribution that falls into this category.

On the other hand, non-source code contributions, such as translations, documentation, or configuration files can be commonly made available in the public domain, or even regarded as insignificant changes outside of the scope of the applicable Free Software license. Nevertheless, to err on the side of caution, the safest approach is to assume whenever in doubt that a contribution is a copyrightable contribution, and act accordingly.

When do you need to get in contact with a contributor?

Generally, you would need to get in touch with a contributor to your project whenever you wish to enact some kind of major change to the overall project. The most common situation for this would be where a project runner intends to re-license the project.

If you need to make such a change, your first step should be to compile a list of all contributions that are copyrightable, as well as their respective contributors. You should then obtain consent for all copyrightable contributions, including those of deceased or otherwise uncontactable contributors.

The reason that you need to do this is that software enjoys copyright protection from the instant that is created. This means that a contributor by default has copyright over their contribution, and does not need any additional steps to protect their work under copyright. There are of course exceptions to this, most notably when the contributor has effectively transferred their copyrights over the contribution to you or your project, making you or your project the copyright holder.

What happens if the contributor has passed away?

Generally, copyright law provides that ownership of the copyright remains with the contributor even after death. In most EU jurisdictions, this means that copyright lasts for 70 years after the death of the author, or in the case of joint authorship, after the death of the the last surviving author. Once this 70-year term expires, the work will enter into the public domain, where others may use the work for commercial purposes without requesting any authorization or license.

Copyright is considered to be personal property, and therefore copyright ownership can be included in a will, and passed on to another person upon the copyright holder’s death. Accordingly, you should inquire with the deceased contributor's estate to see who the copyright has passed onto and seek their consent before making any changes to the project that require the consent of all contributors. In the event that there is no specific provision for who takes ownership of the copyright of software contributions in the will, the rights will be passed along in accordance with the national laws of intestacy where the contributor was residing in.

Regardless of whether or not the ownership of the deceased’s copyright in the project was covered in a will, the new copyright owner(s) would now be the people that you have to obtain your consent from. Nevertheless, please remember when doing so to always be respectful and sensitive in such communications. Losing a loved one is a difficult enough thing to go through, and many relatives will not want to be contacted too soon after the death of their loved one with questions about contributions.

Looking for help with established platforms or software foundations

If your project is hosted online on a popular code repository hosting platform, you should check to see if they have any policies for deceased or absentee contributors. As an example, GitHub has a Deceased User Policy. This policy is written primarily to allow GitHub to work with authorized persons in the deceased's estate to determine what to do with the deceased’s GitHub account. It is also useful for next of kin, pre-designated successors, or other authorized individuals (which could include a collaborator or business partner) of a deceased user, to be able to gain control over a deceased user’s account. It could also be useful to send a request to other popular foundations such as the Apache Software Foundation, the Mozilla Foundation, or the Linux Foundation inquiring about the status of the deceased developer's account, as some developers have adopted the practice of willing contributions to Free Software foundations.

What happens if you can’t contact a contributor or their heirs?

If obtaining the consent of a contributor or their estate has turned out to be impossible, one practical recourse would be to fork the project repository, while moving the contribution(s) of the missing contributor(s) to stay under the original. A good practice when taking this course of action would be to credit previous contributors who have created the original program from which the fork is carved out. Therefore, if all efforts fail to trace and contact the missing contributor(s), you can at least point to some form of attribution to mitigate any potential complications down the line.

Another practical option that many project runners frequently take would be to ignore the deceased and/or missing contributor(s) and their contributions altogether. While this is not strictly the correct legal approach, it is nonetheless a practical one that allows projects to move forward with their plans. Software project that go down this route do so after a thorough risk assessment, more specifically, after analyzing (1) the significance of the contribution in question; (2) the likelihood of the contributor or their estate contesting the decisions of the project, based on their ownership of the copyright over the contributions; and (3) the likelihood of success of any such contestation.

In many cases, project runners may come to the conclusion that the risk of the missing/deceased contributor showing up to assert the rights of their ownership of the contribution is small enough, such that moving forward without the explicit consent of that particular contributor or their estate is worth the risk.

We hope that this has been useful for your understanding of managing this particular legal issue within a software project.

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SFP#30: The App Fair Project with Marc Prud'hommeaux

At FOSDEM, Bonnie Mehring and Marc Prud'hommeaux met to talk about Marc's Free Software initiative, The App Fair Project. This project is a marketplace for all devices and especially also for iOS devices that only distributes Free Software applications. Its goal is to foster a more accessible and inclusive Free Software ecosystem.

For this year's I Love Free Software Day Marc and Bonnie talk about The App Fair Project, which enables iOS users to access Free Software applications. Together, they unravel how the Digital Markets Act (DMA) helped to level the playing field - although a lot of work is still ahead to truly enable Free Software and foster fair competition.

Listen to our 30th episode and find out what The App Fair Project is, how it is related to the DMA and what the next steps are to make Free Software more accessible to everyone.

This is the perfect episode for anyone still searching for Free Software on iOS!

Show notes

• The App Fair Project
• Legal and Policy Issues DevRoom: A Free Software App Store for iOS, The App Fair Project's perspective on the DMA
• The App Fair's github project
• Digital Markets Act (DMA)
• DMA: Litigation against Apple
• 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.

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German elections+++ I Love FS Day+++ DMA, Ada, Router Freedom

February started with FOSDEM! It was great to meet some of you there before we meet again for “I Love Free Software Day”! In recent weeks, we shared our demands for the coming German elections, great news about Router Freedom, and an update about DMA. Moreover, the Ada movie is now available in French and we published two podcast episodes.

Table of contents

• Quote of the Month
• German Elections 2025: We demand public code, secure funding for Free Software, and transparent measurement of progress!
• I Love Free Software Day”: celebrate it with us!
• Router Freedom in Germany: A victory for consumers!
• The FSFE calls for broader interoperability by Apple under the DMA
• The FSFE launches 'Ada & Zangemann' movie in French as Open Educational Resource
• The FSFE supports Dutch call to adopt social media platforms that respect public values
• Software Freedom Podcast! Find out how South Tyrol is taking a step in the direction of software freedom
• From our community!
• Contribute to our Newsletter

Quote of the Month

“Creating a community for Free Software and sharing our appreciation for all Free Software contributors is a task that needs our commitment throughout the year. And all this work can be highlighted on I Love Free Software Day! It is amazing how many people come together and celebrate their favourite type of software together <3”

Albert Astals Cid, co-organizer of 'I Love FS Day' Barcelona since 2019

German Elections 2025: We demand public code, secure funding for Free Software, and transparent measurement of progress!

The next German government must finally push for the controllability, security, and sovereignty of the public digital infrastructure. As Free Software is a prerequisite for this, the FSFE is making 4 key demands: "Public Money? Public Code!", securing long-term funding for Free Software, deepening Free Software knowledge in administrations, and monitoring progress.

“I Love Free Software Day”: celebrate it with us!

Ready for I Love Free Software Day 2025? We are celebrating this day, to say thank you to Free Software projects, with different events across Europe.

Join us to celebrate this day in Villach in Carinthia (Austria); Nuremberg, Berlin or Frankfurt (Germany); Bozen-Bolzano, Sicilia, Este or Bergamo (Italy); Luxembourg; Nijmegen (Netherlands); Warsaw, Poznań or Wrocław (Poland); Barcelona or Madrid (Spain); Zurich (Switzerland); and Staffordshire (United Kingdom). Find all the information about the events on ilovefs.org.

You can also get involved and celebrate this day by: crafting a personalized thank you message using our redesigned template from the Sharepic Generator or record a short thank you message to your favourite Free Software project, and share it on your social media channels using the hashtag #ilovefs; send a postcard to your favourite Free Software project; and share your knowledge about Free Software. Let us spread the word about the four freedoms – come and join us for this year’s I Love Free Software Day <3

Router Freedom in Germany: A victory for consumers!

After a failed attempt by internet providers to exclude Router Freedom from fiber networks, the German regulator BNetzA has confirmed Router Freedom in the country. The FSFE, which has been pushing for this since 2013, will continue to monitor implementation and compliance.

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.

Furthermore, on February 6, the FSFE participated in the "DMA and Beyond Conference" organised by the Knight-Georgetown Institute and Yale University in Washington, D.C. There, our volunteer Jithendra Palepu presented a comprehensive study, elaborated upon by Lucas Lasota, FSFE's Legal Programme Manager, on Apple's restrictive interoperability policies and their harm to Free Software in the context of the DMA.

Check out our participation here!

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.

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 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.

Software Freedom Podcast! Find out how South Tyrol is taking a step in the direction of software freedom

In our latest Software Freedom Podcast, Marta Andreoli, FSFE's Italian deputy coordinator, talks to Paolo Dongilli, technical inspector of the Autonomous Province of Bozen-Bolzano - South Tyrol, about the FUSS project. Together they unravel how FUSS is helping the schools in South Tyrol take a step towards software freedom.

Also, we continued our series of episodes about Policy and the EU. Last month, we talked about the two DevRooms that the FSFE organized at FOSDEM 25.

From our community!

• Ada & Zangemann themed mini game on the Luanti gaming platform: thanks to Marco Amato -Zughy-, FSFE Italy volunteer and his team A.E.S., you can now pass your ice cream cone to someone else before it melts in your hand. Try it out!
• A volunteer, who recently moved to South Spain, organized a reading and tinkering “Ada & Zangemann session” at an art center in Granada. More than 20 children were able to tinker and play with technology as well as learn about the story of Ada!

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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Bundestagswahl 2025: Wir fordern öffentlichen Code, sichere Finanzierung für Freie Software und transparente Statistiken!

Die nächste deutsche Bundesregierung muss endlich die Kontrollierbarkeit, Sicherheit und Souveränität öffentlicher digitaler Infrastrukturen vorantreiben. Dazu braucht sie Freie Software. Die FSFE stellt deswegen vier Kernforderungen: „Public Money? Public Code!“, eine sichere, langfristig Finanzierung für Freie Software, Kompetenzaufbau und Statistiken zum Fortschrittsmonitoring.

Öffentliche Verwaltungen und demokratische Institutionen sind wie unsere gesamte Gesellschaft auf verlässliche digitale Infrastrukturen angewiesen. Die heutige Abhängigkeit dieser Infrastrukturen von proprietärer Software birgt erhebliche Risiken für Deutschland und Europa. Freie Software hingegen fördert Zusammenarbeit und Innovation und stärkt die technologische Souveränität Deutschlands. Die Gestaltbarkeit und Kontrollierbarkeit der digitalen Infrastruktur unserer Demokratie muss ein zentrales Projekt der nächsten Bundesregierung sein. Der konsequente Einsatz Freier Software (auch bekannt als Open Source) ist dafür unerlässlich.

Die Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fordert deswegen die neue Bundesregierung auf, entschieden auf Freie Software für Deutschlands öffentliche Verwaltungen zu setzen, und dabei folgende vier Maßnahmen umzusetzen:

1. Public Money? Public Code! Mit öffentlichen Geldern für öffentliche Verwaltungen entwickelte Software muss unter Freie-Software-Lizenzen veröffentlicht werden. Dieses als „Public Money? Public Code!“ bekannte Prinzip muss die neue Bundesregierung gesetzlich verankern und umsetzen. Nur so kann die Abhängigkeit öffentlicher Verwaltungen von proprietärer Software und ihren Herstellern gelöst und technologische Souveränität erreicht werden.
2. Freie Software langfristig finanziell absichern! Statt Milliarden in proprietäre Lizenzen zu investieren und damit bestehende Abhängigkeiten zu zementieren, muss die Bundesregierung die Finanzierung Freier Software für den öffentlichen Sektor langfristig sichern, sowohl in der öffentlichen Vergabe als auch durch gezielte Förderung zentraler Infrastruktur. Das Zentrum für Digitale Souveränität (ZenDiS) spielt eine wichtige Rolle beim Einsatz für Freie Software in Deutschland. Das ZenDiS braucht daher ein langfristiges, stabiles Budget, um öffentliche Verwaltungen weiterhin auf dem Weg zu technologischer Souveränität durch Freie Software zu unterstützen.
3. Kompetenzen der Verwaltung stärken, Zivilgesellschaft einbeziehen! In vielen Verwaltungen und in der Zivilgesellschaft gibt es bereits heute Kompetenz zu Beschaffung und Einsatz Freier Software. Die Bundesregierung muss diese Ressourcen für die Breite der öffentlichen Verwaltung nutzbar machen. Vorhandene Kompetenzen in Freie-Software-Communities und in der Zivilgesellschaft müssen dabei strategisch einbezogen werden.
4. Fortschritt messbar machen! In öffentlichen Verwaltungen müssen Daten zur Beschaffung, Nutzung und dem Anteil Freier Software erhoben und veröffentlicht werden. Diese Statistiken ermöglichen ein effektives Fortschrittsmonitoring bei der Erhöhung des Anteils Freier Software im öffentlichen Sektor.

Seit die FSFE die Initiative „Public Money? Public Code!“ ins Leben gerufen hat, setzt sich bei den demokratischen Parteien im Deutschen Bundestag zunehmend die Überzeugung durch, dass technologisch souveräne öffentliche Verwaltungen Freie Software brauchen. „Public Money? Public Code!“ findet sich bereits heute in Parteitagsbeschlüssen und Wahlprogrammen wieder. Auch wenn die vergangene Bundesregierung ihr vielversprechenden Vorhaben aus dem Koalitionsvertrag nicht umgesetzt hat, zeigte sich zuletzt im Dezember 2024 in einer öffentlichen Anhörung im Digitalausschuss des Deutschen Bundestags: Das Ziel, durch Freie Software Deutschlands technologische Souveränität zu stärken, ist unter den demokratischen Fraktionen im Bundestag unstrittig. Es ist die Aufgabe der nächsten Bundesregierung, dieses Ziel nun endlich anzugehen und umzusetzen, um unsere digitalen Infrastrukturen kontrollierbar und zukunftssicher zu machen.

Freie Software und „Public Money? Public Code!”

Freie Software gibt allen das Recht, Programme für jeden Zweck zu verwenden, zu verstehen, zu verbreiten und zu verbessern. Durch diese Freiheiten müssen ähnliche Programme nicht komplett neu programmiert werden und dank transparenter Prozesse muss das Rad nicht ständig neu erfunden werden. Bei großen Projekten können Expertise und Kosten geteilt werden und Anwendungen stehen allen zur Verfügung. So wird Innovation gefördert und mittel- bis langfristig Steuergeld gespart. Abhängigkeiten von einzelnen Anbieterinnen werden minimiert und Sicherheitslücken können leichter geschlossen werden. Die Free Software Foundation Europe fordert daher mit über 200 Organisation und Verwaltungen „Public Money? Public Code!“ - Wenn es sich um öffentliche Gelder handelt, sollte auch der Code öffentlich sein! Mehr Informationen zur Initiative sind auf der „Public Money? Public Code!”-Website zu finden.

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SFP#29: How South Tyrol is taking a step in the direction of software freedom

For our 29th episode we have something very special for you. Marta Andreoli, the Italian deputy coordinator, talks to Paolo Dongilli about the FUSS project. Together they unravel how FUSS is helping the schools in South Tyrol take a step towards software freedom.

Paolo Dongilli, the technical inspector for the Autonomous Province of Bozen-Bolzano, South Tyrol, is the brains behind the FUSS project. FUSS stands for Free Upgrade for a Digitally Sustainable School, a complete operating system based on GNU+Linux. The system is currently used by 1900 teachers and 16.000 students. FUSS is installed on 4500 computers.

How did South Tyrol's schools start relaying on Free Software and what are the social implications of this decision? These and more topics are discussed in this episode by Marta and Paolo.h

Listen to our 29th episode and find out what all the fuss is about!!

Show notes

• FUSS project
• Background information on the FUSS project (IT only)
• Brochure on FUSS (IT and EN)
• Paolo Dongilli
• Sign the Open Letter for “Public Money? Public Code!”
• 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.

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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
• 15:30h - 16:00h. 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