Free Software Foundation Europe is a charity that empowers users to control technology. Software is deeply involved in all aspects of our lives. #FreeSoftware (aka #OpenSource) gives everybody the rights to use, understand, adapt, and share software. These rights help support other fundamental rights like freedom of speech, freedom of press, and privacy. #SoftwareFreedom
Public Money? #PublicCode ! #DeviceNeutrality #UpcyclingAndroid #RouterFreedom #ilovefs #YH4F #REUSE #DigitalRights
| Website | https://fsfe.org |
| Join us | https://fsfe.org/contribute/contribute |
| Support us | https://my.fsfe.org/support |
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📣 Consumers should be able to buy laptops without any specific operating system, and should not have to pay the license price if they don't want to.
Together with the @ItaLinuxSociety we launched the initiative 'Refund4Freedom' to protect consumer rights when buying a new computer.
Join our demand to end of this practice that limits user freedom
Every year on 14 February we celebrate our "I Love Free Software Day" 💕 . On this day we thank all Free Software contributors for their commitment to use, study, share and improve #FreeSoftware
We talked with our :FSFE: local group in Potteries (UK) to know a bit more about them and how they celebrate this day:
#FreeSoftwareMerch stewards, maintainers and manufactures, share your input!
https://fsfe.org/news/2025/news-20250717-01.html
Send your feedback before the end of the month!
This questionnaire assumes you are familiar with the CRA and your feedback will be published anonymously.
Did you miss our talk about #CRA at #froscon2025? In it, @lexelas and Michael Schuster discussed the current status of the #CRA implementation and its impact on the #FreeSoftware landscape.
📺 Watch it now ! (in DE) https://media.fsfe.org/w/miJY9odhtHi6Q8Zpz8SGca
Erste Entwicklungen nach unserer 100-Tage-Kritik: Digitalminister Wildberger prüft laut BILD den „Microsoft-Rausschmiss“. Das BMDS kündigt an, „wo immer möglich auf Open Source“ zu setzen. Zudem soll #openDesk als Alternative zu Microsoft Office getestet werden.
Wird das der versprochene Aufbruch für #FreieSoftware? Wir werden hinsehen und nachfragen - bis #PublicCode Realität ist.
First moves after our 100-day critique: According to BILD, Digital Minister Wildberger is considering a “Microsoft kick-out.” The BMDS announced it will rely on Open Source “wherever possible” and plans to test #openDesk as an alternative to Microsoft Office.
Is this the promised push for #FreeSoftware? We’ll keep watching and asking — until #PublicCode becomes reality.
⚖️ New Legal Corner Article ⚖️
Bringing SumUp to compliance: a case study of license enforcement
What happens when those who benefit from the four freedoms fail to comply with the terms of a #FreeSoftware license?We take a look at the experience of license enforcement by one of our FSFE volunteers against the fintech company SumUp, and examine the lessons that supporters of Free Software can take away from it
The FSFE is at the @scambi!
Today, we gifted an 'Ada & Zangemann' book to the town public library, which was picked up by the Deputy Mayor of Culture of Sanremo.
On 20 August, @dario will hold a workshop on the basics of
#FreeSoftware and present the FSFE's involvement in @ngi.
#froscon2025 day 1 is over! Thanks to everyone who joined our afternoon talk about #CRA with @lexelas ! We also really enjoyed talking with some puf you at our booth!!
See you tomorrow!!!
@FrOSCon 2025 has started!
If you are around, come to our booth to say hi! volunteers and staffers will be happy to talk with you!
We started the day with @johas and his talk evaluating the first 100 days of the new German government with regard to its digital policy and #FreeSoftware
Later today, @lexelas will discuss the current status of the #CRA implementation
It's never too early to start thinking about #FOSDEM! @bkuhn @karen @lexelas @richardfontana @tmarble and I would like to submit a proposal for the "#Legal and #Policy Devroom" to @fosdem as soon as they open the CfP. Like last year we would like get feedback by you, our community:
* What did you especially like in 2025 https://fosdem.org/2025/schedule/track/legal-and-policy/ ?
* What would you like to see improved?
* What topics would you like to see in our devroom (permitted that we would be accepted again)?
@purpleidea I see this mainly as a similar process as for other projects. First you become a contributor, then after some time you build up a good working relationship and you might become a maintainer as well.
We want to enable people to participate in more parts of the process e.g. by this step of asking for feedback, our last year's call, we might also ask people to help with some other tasks at FOSDEM itself; which is always an opportunity to find new people for other parts of the project.
@kirschner Sounds like you're just assigning busy work to potentially good future leaders, and maybe some don't want to stick around for it? What changes have there been to the core team in the last many years? Maybe the process isn't working or someone is scaring newcomers off? I don't have have the information, you'd know more than me!
But for the conference I help run, we just add new people and that's that, there's no fealty or prerequisite tribute.
@purpleidea Alex and I joined the team some time ago, which worked out well from my perspective. We can talk about that next time I meet. Briefly: At #FOSDEM everyone can participate in the call for devrooms, and there are constantly new ones that compete with others.
I would not have committed to run a devroom, if I would not have known that we can run that effectively together. I would not have time to first have endless discussions about the direction, so I would have had to decline.
@purpleidea about the busy work: FOSDEM is run by many people. If you are "too important" to do some of the busy work, from my perspective you might be at the wrong place.
That's what I value about my co-organisers, each one of them helps to do the "door duty", running around with the microphone, reminding speakers about their slides, even though all of them have a huge amount of other work as well.
Matthias Kirschner
James Just James