freedom

Publicly funded software has to result in public code

As the European Parliament elections approach, EDRi member Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) intensifies the efforts for the “Public Money? Public Code!” campaign. In January 2019, FSFE published a new brochure to serve as guidelines for decision-makers, explaining the fundamental benefits of public code. Free Software for a Free Society Free and Open Source Software … Read more

A final x-ray of Article 13: legislative wishful thinking that will hurt user rights

Impossible obligations create legal uncertainty March 5, 2019 — Communia Association Share this article: Since last year we have tracked the development of Article 13 of the proposed Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market by publishing a series of flowcharts that illustrates its internal logic (or absence thereof). Now that there is a … Read more

Protect freedom on radio devices: raise your voice today!

We are facing a EU regulation which may make it impossible to install a custom piece of software on most radio devices like WiFi routers, smartphones and embedded devices. You can now give feedback on the most problematic part by Monday, 4 March. Please participate – it’s not hard! In the EU Radio Equipment Directive … Read more

Huawei case demonstrates importance of Free Software for security

The discussion of the Huawei security concerns showcases a general trust issue when it comes to critical infrastructure. A first step to solve this problem is to publish the code under a Free and Open Source Software licence and take measures to facilitate its independently-verifiable distribution. The ongoing debate about banning Huawei hardware for the … Read more

Dare to rethink your city. Be part of a Smarter Europe.

The European cities Paris, Amsterdam and Barcelona have been named among the top 10 Smart Cities worldwide. They are transforming their urban environments through technology by using data to connect, digitalise and make their cities future proof. The European Union can help you transform your city too! The European Commission, through the CEF Digital programme, … Read more

In January, the EU starts running Bug Bounties on Free and Open Source Software

FOSSA Bug Bounties In January, the EU is launching bug bounties on Free Software projects to increase the security of the Internet! Tweet this! In January the European Commission is launching 14 out of a total of 15 bug bounties on Free Software projects that the EU institutions rely on. A bug bounty is a … Read more

Building the Public Goods of the Twenty-First Century

Digital public goods in the age of the data revolution   History plays tricks on us. Just as we think we’ve got things figured, everything changes. My favourite example is Malthus’s ‘principle of population’ which explained why most people were mired in poverty despite improving technology. As Malthus explained, population growth was exponential and so would eventually outstrip productivity growth and … Read more

“The Competences we need” – Documentary on the Council of Europe Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture

“The Competences we need” – Documentary on the Council of Europe Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture from Council of Europe OP Services. “We were not born as fully informed and active citizens. This is something that we become with time”. This is the opening sentence of the new documentary produced by the Education … Read more

More revenue, new jobs: Basque Country open source ICT sector grows 8%

In the past year, ICT companies in the Basque Country in Spain that specialise in free and open source software report a revenue growth of 8 percent – much higher than the autonomous region’s average – according to a member survey by ESLE, the region’s trade group for these ICT service providers. “This year’s growth … Read more