20 Years FSFE +++ Finland achieving Router Freedom +++ microFSFE

In July Newsletter, we invite our community to join the celebrations of 20 Years FSFE, we applaud Finland for securing Router Freedom, and we look into Free Software activities for children. We are getting ready for German elections and invite you to help us support Free Software demands for public administration during the election campaign.

FSFE: 20 years of empowering people to control technology

Long before the first smartphone was introduced, it was evident to the FSFE's founders that it is the people who should be in control of technology and not vice versa. In 2001, Free Software experts around Europe created the Free Software Foundation Europe.

20 years is a long time in computing history and although technology is ever-changing, our values have been consistent. The core of our work is, in a nutshell: educating people on the nature of Free Software, highlighting its political implications, and simplifying its legal preconditions. Matthias Kirschner, President of the FSFE since 2015, explains this in his own words in a short video.

Our work throughout the years would not have been possible without the help of our European community. Whether you have translated our news, used your voice to share our message, helped us financially, or participated in one of our public events: you have helped our cause to take a step further.

Would you like to share your thoughts about your time with the FSFE? We are looking forward to hearing from you. Also we would love to see pictures from your activities in the past and share them with the community. Or, if you are feeling creative, you can send us a birthday video, just like the science-fiction author Cory Doctorow did. Do not miss to watch it and to find out more on how to share your throwback on our birthday page.

Router Freedom achieved in Finland, as the most fair and efficient practice

Finland recognises Router Freedom as a digital right, setting an example for the EU. Net neutrality is ensured by EU Regulation. However, net neutrality also means that users have the right to use terminal equipment of their choice, such as a phone or modem. For Finland, this is clear. Traficom, the national agency dealing with transportation, communications, and networks, has a noteworthy stance on the issue, protecting the rights of end-users.

We interviewed Klaus Nieminen, Chief Specialist of Traficom. In his view, Router Freedom benefits end-users, fosters competition in the telecommunications terminal equipment markets, and complies with the Open Internet Regulation 2015/2120 of the EU. He shares that there is no technological necessity to justify limiting end-users' rights to choose their own equipment. Traficom arrived to this conclusion after an objective assessment. Finally, he explains that in Finland Router Freedom also applies to new technologies such as 5G.

Listen to our Podcast

This is the first time since the launch of the Software Freedom Podcast that a FSFE staff member gives an interview in our podcast series. Max Mehl, FSFE Programme Manager, has been with the FSFE since 2011 and has worked on numerous campaigns. With this episode Bonnie Mehring and Max Mehl provide a nice and easy entrance to the very complex world of software licensing.

This year the FSFE celebrates its 20th anniversary. Support our work for the next 20 years to come

microFSFE

Early programmers deserve a spotlight too. From kids to teenagers, the FSFE welcomes early beginners in its community.

Teaching Free Software to children

In Kreuzlingen, a city in northern Switzerland, five children had the chance to participate in a 4-day course on Free Software development. The course was free of charge, and it was offered thanks to the creativity and pedagogical skills of FSFE supporter, Peter Bittner. The kids had no prior experience using Linux, so the course started with booting GNU/LINUX from a USB stick, and quickly advanced to working in the terminal using Bash commands and coding Python.

'We need our kids to know what school doesn't teach them' says Peter in his blog about this course. 'Pupils are being taught "products" of the technology giants ("Safari", "Word", "Excel", "PowerPoint") instead of information technology concepts (web browser, text processor, spreadsheet, presentations)'.

microfashion

According to scientists, early "nerdiness" can lead to a 10% increase in happiness later in life ; ) So do not miss to start early and get one of our fork T-shirts. They are available for ages 5 to 12, as well as in a bib for babies!

Teenagers

By the way, this autumn, the FSFE will launch a new activity for teenagers. Our goal is to share the values of Free Software with young developers. So if you are a young person experimenting with software development, or if you know one, stay tuned.

Upcoming event

• On Wednesday August 4th, we are organising an online workshop (DE) to prepare the promotion of our 'Public Money? Public Code!' campaign during the last weeks until the German elections. We need your support to spread our message. If you are interested to be involved in this process, please register and join our workshop for in-person discussions.

What we have done:

• On June 23rd, Max Mehl, Programme Manager at the FSFE, presented REUSE in the “Leveraging Open Source Responsibly” session at OW2con’21. In his presentation, Max Mehl explained how REUSE makes it easier for developers to declare the licensing and copyright situation for their code. The presentation is available in Peertube. This session is part of a long-term effort by OW2 to promote best practices and good citizenship in open source governance.
• On July 6th and 7th, Bonnie Mehring and Alexander Sander presented our German federal election campaign to the local groups of Nordhessen and Frankfurt. If you are interested to participate in such a workshop check our upcoming event.
• On July 22nd, Bonnie Mehring presented our 'Public Money? Public Code!' campaign in the FSFE women monthly meeting. Also, they discussed what the plans are with respect to the upcoming election campaign of the federal parliament in Germany 2021. The FSFE women group is open for all women who are interested in Free Software and technology, and takes place online.
• On July 24th, translators met online to get to know each other and learn valuable tools for their work, such as the webpreview tool, the translation wiki, and Git. The meeting was hosted by Luca Bonissi, who has created the webpreview tool, and Bonnie Mehring, coordinator of the FSFE translator group team.
• Alexander Sander, our Policy Consultant, contributed to a report on the use of Free Software in local administrations which was released by the German association for municipal government. The association 'Kommunale Gemeinschaftsstelle für Verwaltungsmanagement (KGSt)', published the report [DE] titled 'Open Source in Kommunen – Ein Baustein für mehr Digitale Souveränität.'

Legal and Licensing Workshops 2021

On July 14th, the Online Legal and Licensing Workshop 2021 was completed. The FSFE's Free Software Legal and Licensing Workshop (LLW) has been held annually for the FSFE's Legal Network since 2008, and serves as a conference for legal experts in the field of Free Software to debate over issues and share best practices surrounding Free Software licenses. Instead of a one-time conference, this year, from March to July, LLW offered online presentations, discussion panels, and workshops continuously.

We are very happy to have put up an online edition of the LLW, and we are also looking forward to organize next year's edition of the LLW hopefully in person, to continue building a robust Free Software legal community.

Get active for the Federal election in Germany

On 26 September, a new Bundestag will be elected in Germany. We are engaged around the election and want to ensure with our activities that "Public Money? Public Code!" play an important role for the next government. Therefore we want to make sure that our "Public Money? Public Code!" demands will be included in the coalition agreement of Germany's next government. To achieve this we need your help and support. We created an activity package [DE] for you and will also present it during a workshop on 4 August 2021. If you like to participate, register now.

Contribute to our newsletter

If you would like to share any thoughts, pictures, or news, please send them to us. As always, the address is newsletter@fsfe.org. We're looking forward to hearing from you! If you also want to support us and our work, join our community and support us with a donation or a monthly contribution. Thanks to our community and all the volunteers, supporters, and donors who make our work possible. And thanks to our translators, who enable you to read this newsletter in your native languages.

Your editor, Fani Partsafyllidou

The biggest financial impact the FSFE faces in these times of physical distancing is the cancellation of Free Software conferences, including our own events. To keep the software freedom movement solid and alive, please consider donating a part of your conference budget to Free Software organisations, including the FSFE.

Support FSFE

FSFE: 20 years of empowering people to control technology

Marking twenty years of the FSFE, we highlight the importance of software freedom in Europe and important accomplishments since 2001. We shed light on our community with a birthday page where you can find community interviews and videos. People are invited to celebrate with us and share their own stories.

Long before the first smartphone was introduced, it was evident to the FSFE's founders that it is the people who should be in control of technology and not vice versa. In 2001, Free Software experts around Europe therefore created the Free Software Foundation Europe. 20 years later, we successfully concentrate our daily work on three main pillars to help software freedom thrive in Europe: public awareness, policy advocacy, and legal support.

Some highlights of the last 20 years

In 2021, the FSFE looks back on a successful history with major successes in the public, legal, and policy fields. For example in 2005, when our intense campaigning and collaboration with other organisations persuaded the European Parliament to vote against Software Patents. Or two years later, when the European Court of Justice aligned with the FSFE, requiring Microsoft to publish interoperability information. During that time, we saw that it was needed to help Free Software developers by clarifying the legal aspects of their work, such as the enforcement in case of license violations. This led to the FSFE starting to work with Free Software legal advocates and practitioners for legal initiatives in 2006.

Meanwhile, the FSFE maintains the world's largest professional network on legal issues related to Free Software. The FSFE's legal experts on this network help with concrete licensing consultancy. To this end in 2017 we also created the highly successful REUSE initiative to provide a set of recommendations that make licensing Free Software projects easier for developers. REUSE has been adopted by well known projects such as the German Corona Warn App and the KDE.

Since its founding, the FSFE has been committed to running public campaigns and helping people to understand the benefits of Free Software. As early as 2012, we helped users to overcome software restrictions in their phones with the launch of our 'Free Your Android' campaign. Two years earlier we introduced "I Love Free Software Day" which is celebrated around the globe every year on 14 February. In 2017, we launched the extraordinarily successful 'Public Money? Public Code!' campaign, convincing several public administrations to change their IT strategy. The accompanying open letter has been signed by over 200 civil society organisations, 31.000 individuals, and several public administrations like the city of Barcelona and the Swedish JobTech Development center.

FSFE20 campaign: handing over the mic to our community

Of course, all these accomplishments can only give a glimpse of the impact of the FSFE and our activities in the last 20 years. They do not tell how all these successes are the result of our large community that we can rely on. To at least shed light on some of them we created the FSFE20 campaign this year, where we hand over the mic to our community.

We have contacted people who paved the way of the FSFE since its beginning, such as long term contributors and past staffers. In a series of interviews we discuss the progress of the FSFE as well as technological topics. Every person who is involved in the FSFE has unique memories, expertise, and hopes for the future. They are all part of the story of 20 Years FSFE.

So far we interviewed Georg Greve, founder president of the FSFE; Reinhard Müller, long-term volunteer and former Financial Officer of the FSFE; Fernanda Weiden, former Vice President of FSFE and founding member of FSF Latin America; and Torsten Grote, Free Software developer and long time volunteer in the FSFE.

And this is just the beginning. We will conduct several more interviews to shed light on 20 Years FSFE. In addition, this autumn we want to publish another dedicated birthday page whose content is entirely made from our community contributions. You will find more on this and the interviews on our birthday page! Besides these interviews, you will also find a birthday video from science-fiction author Cory Doctorow and one by our current president Matthias Kirschner alongside information on how people can join the celebrations.

A message to you from our President Matthias Kirschner

Although technology is ever-changing, our values have been consistent throughout the last twenty years. The core of our work is, in a nutshell: educating people on the nature of Free Software, highlighting its political implications, and simplifying its legal preconditions. Matthias Kirschner, President of the FSFE since 2015, explains this in his own words in a short video.

Celebrate with us!

This autumn we want to publish another dedicated birthday page whose content is entirely made from your contributions. This is the time for you to join in! Would you like to share your thoughts about your time with the FSFE? You can answer our interview questions. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

Other ways you can join our celebration are to send us FSFE pictures from the past, or to create a birthday video and share your wishes for the future. Find out how to share your throwback in our birthday page. To cherish this anniversary we also produced something commemorative. Show off your long lasting dedication to Free Software by having an 'FSFE since 2001' sticker on your laptop.

Support FSFE

SFP#11: REUSE Booster and our update on REUSE with Max Mehl

Max Mehl and Bonnie Mehring talk about the REUSE initiative and the newly launched REUSE Booster programme. This 11th episode of the Software Freedom Podcast is the perfect match for you if you are interested in Free Software licensing and curious about how REUSE and its tools make that easier for developers and users.

For this episode we have invited Max Mehl. This is the first time since the launch of the Software Freedom Podcast that a FSFE staff member joins the podcast. Max Mehl, FSFE's program manager, has been with the FSFE since 2011 and has worked on the numerous campaigns. Including the "I Love Free Software Day", "Free Your Android", "Router Freedom", and the "Public Money? Public Code!" campaign just to name a few. Nowadays, Max Mehl is also the responsible for the REUSE initiative and one of the REUSE tool's maintainers.

REUSE is a standard for modern licensing of Free Software projects. It is widely adopted and has been implemented by larger Free Software communities like KDE. In this episode Bonnie Mehring and Max Mehl talk about REUSE itself and its tools, the development of the REUSE community and the newly launched REUSE Booster programme, which is the perfect opportunity for an easy entrance to adopting the REUSE standard for your software project. With this episode Bonnie Mehring and Max Mehl provide a nice and easy entrance to the very complex world of software licensing.

Read more:

• REUSE Booster helps Free Software projects with licensing and copyright
• REUSE campaign
• Max Mehl
• SFP#4 about REUSE with Carmen Bianca Bakker

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

Support FSFE

How Finland implemented Router Freedom: the regulator's perspective

Finland became renowned in the beginning of the last decade for its internet accessibility policies. Now, in the context of the telecom reform in the EU, Finland has assured Router Freedom in the country. The FSFE acknowledges this as a major win for end-users' rights. We interviewed Klaus Nieminen, a representative of the Finnish network regulator Traficom, to learn more about this decision.

In the last decade, Finland became renowned for its digital transformation policies, which gave the country the status of having one of the most digitally-oriented populations. In particular, Finland has been praised for its efforts in implementing rules on a legislative level to ensure internet broadband connection for its entire population. The country's internet policies focused on affordability of connection have resulted in Router Freedom. In 2014, Finland established Router Freedom in the country. The law stated that internet service providers (ISPs) should not prevent an end-user from connecting to a public communications network any radio or telecommunications terminal equipment that meets the legal requirements.

In 2020, following the implementation of net neutrality in the country, Traficom, the Finnish national regulatory authority, confirmed Router Freedom. We consider this decision as a major achievement in protecting end-users' rights.

With other EU countries, however, there are still several issues to overcome. As the FSFE has been reporting, the reform of EU telecommunications law with the European Electronic Communications Code (the EECC) has the potential to negatively affect Router Freedom. The transposition of the EECC into national jurisdictions has been complex, imposing challenges for a harmonised approach. In this context, the FSFE asked Traficom how Router Freedom would be regulated after the reform in Finland. Traficom confirmed its commitment to Router Freedom, stating that it will not change the current framework for the ongoing telecom reform. This complies with the demands FSFE has been making to regulators across Europe.

To learn more about this decision and the future of Router Freedom in Finland we interviewed Klaus Nieminen, Traficom's Chief Specialist. We shed light on how regulators should approach Router Freedom from the perspective of end-users' rights, so other countries that are in the process of reforming their telecom law can learn and profit from the Finnish experience and commit themselves to protecting Router Freedom in their jurisdictions.

FSFE: In 2014, Finland introduced Router Freedom as a principle. Will you stick to this principle also in the current reform process? Why does Finland consider Router Freedom important for end-users' rights?

Klaus Nieminen: Router Freedom is a right for end-users. It is also important to enable and foster competition in the telecommunications terminal equipment markets. The Open Internet Regulation (2015/2120 (EU)) states that end-users shall have the right to use terminal equipment of their choice as defined in Commission Directive 2008/63/EC. Providers of internet access services should not impose restrictions on the use of terminal equipment connecting to the network in addition to those imposed by manufacturers or distributors of terminal equipment in accordance with Union law. The rules are stable and we did not see any need to change our position.

The EU is reforming its telecommunications law with the EECC. Dispositions on the location of the "Network Termination Point" could negatively affect Router Freedom. What is Traficom's approach in regards to Router Freedom and the telecom reform? What is your take on the EU position and are you in touch with other countries on that?

As far as we understand, the use of terminal devices can only be restricted in accordance with the Open Internet Regulation, e.g. when it is necessary for information security or technical compatibility reasons. The end-user's right to choose the terminal device does not apply to those devices which it is, according to an objective assessment, technically necessary to consider part of the telecommunications operator's network. The definition of the fixed network termination point (NTP) location has an impact on whether a piece of equipment at the customer premises is a part of the public network or a part of the terminal equipment and therefore we consider this assessment to be of utmost importance.

Has Traficom detected any "technological necessity" that could potentially limit Router Freedom?

We have studied this question regarding cable modems, and after an objective assessment, Traficom decided that no technological necessity exists to justify limiting end-users' rights to choose their own equipment. In Finland the right to choose terminal equipment has existed for years so it has been more or less traditional that end-users can choose their modem. Therefore I might say that the topic has not been very controversial in our country. We have for example never seen a case where an ISP have argued a CPE router to be part of their network.

Many years ago we had some pre-standard WiMAX networks where the modems needed to be configured for a particular network in a factory and this has been the only case where we have detected a clear technological necessity as only the operator was able to buy a device working in its network.

In your opinion, what could be done to achieve a harmonised approach by identifying "technological necessity" together with other EU members to protect Router Freedom in Europe?

The topic has been discussed by the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). BEREC has issued guidelines to provide guidance to national regulatory authorities (NRAs) on common approaches to the identification of the NTP in different network topologies. It has contributed to the harmonisation of defining the location of NTPs in the EU. BEREC also provides a forum for NRAs to exchange views, which has also contributed towards a harmonised approach. Anyway, it is up to the NRAs to assess the technological necessity and take the decision.

Do ISPs respect Router Freedom in Finland? Do you receive complaints from end-users?

ISPs in Finland have been respecting the rules. End-users can choose their terminal equipment including modems and routers.

Traficom has received only a few complaints from end-users during the past two years. After the investigation, it turned out that the rules have been respected. The cases were related to the modem specific security and interoperability issues as some modems aren't fully compatible with the network service provided and the requirements described by ISPs.

On the other hand, we had to remind our ISPs only once, a few years ago, by imposing a decision against their practices. In the decision Traficom concluded that an operator had violated national legislation and the Open Internet Regulation by prohibiting the user from using a cable modem that meets the requirements laid down by law without legal grounds for the prohibition. Moreover, Traficom considered that the operator could not prohibit in advance the connection to its network of equipment other than those devices it has pre-approved. The operator changed its practices to comply with the decision, and after that no further enforcement actions were needed.

Looking into the future, what is your approach to protect Router Freedom regarding new technologies like 5G and FTTH (fibre to the home)?

Operators normally provide a modem for their 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) subscriptions, but as far as we know, it is not mandatory to use those devices. Therefore end-users can use their own modems and routers. Operators provide an ONT for their FTTH subscriptions, but we have not further studied the possibility to replace the ONT with a different device as there have been no complaints or questions regarding this. For mobile 5G subscriptions, end-users can buy their own modems, tablets and handsets.

FSFE: Thank you very much!

The Router Freedom initiative

Router Freedom is the right that consumers of any Internet Service Provider (ISP) have to choose and use a private modem and router instead of equipment that the ISP provides. Since 2013, the Free Software Foundation Europe has been successfully engaged with Router Freedom, promoting end-users' freedom to choose and use their own terminal equipment - first in Germany as a precedent, and now in many European countries. Join us and learn more about the several ways to get involved.

Support FSFE

Rising demands for Dutch digital autonomy +++ REUSE Booster +++ Torsten Grote

Dutch digital public services rely increasingly on monopolistic companies; the FSFE Dutch team actively demands digital rights. In June, we launched REUSE Booster to share legal advice with Free Software projects on copyright. We interviewed Torsten Grote, a member of the FSFE, who stressed the need to Free our Androids early on.

Dutch Digital Autonomy is undermined; demands for Free Software are rising

The Netherlands is becoming dependent on a digital infrastructure that is dominated by a small number of monopolistic companies. Although the Dutch Cyber Security Council recognises the consequent risk, their report neglects focusing on Open Standards and Free Software, the proven best practices to face this problem. The FSFE calls on the Dutch government to stand firm and get a grip on their digital security and autonomy by adhering to Open Standards and Free Software, in line with their earlier commitment to use Free Software by default.

Our team emphatically defends digital rights in the Netherlands. In 2018, Jos van den Oever noticed that the 'Debat Direct' app could not be downloaded to his Firefox OS phone. In other words, the official application for parliamentary debates was not available under a Free Software license. Jos' request to get the app's source code was denied, and he brought the case to court. The Council of State ruled on 31 March 2021 that the Parliament does not have to publish the source code. As a result, the participation app remains closed to those who wish to use only Free Software apps.

Jos van den Oever, the person behind this initiative, is a FSFE volunteer and part of our country team Netherlands. Its members kept in touch even during the pandemic, when they had to replace booths for online meetings. Nico Rikken, one of the two coordinators, shares his experiences about this transition in a blogpost, and calls anyone interested to join the FSFE community based in the Netherlands..

REUSE Booster supports Free Software projects with licensing

REUSE has facilitated the licensing of Free Software projects. Developers are given standardised ways to mark all files in a project with their chosen license and copyright notice. A tutorial, a set of FAQs, a helper tool, and an API have been made available to lower the threshold and save time.

With REUSE Booster, the FSFE takes this initiative a step further. Free Software projects can seek tailored support with licensing and copyright by legal experts now. Each project will be evaluated individually and the recommendations will apply to its particular situation. Register until 8 July to get your Free Software project on board.

20 Years FSFE: Envisioning free operating systems in smartphones with Torsten Grote

In our fourth birthday publication we reminisce about the emergence of the first smartphones. We are interviewing Torsten Grote, who explored Free Software alternatives for smartphones as early as 2012. A programmer as well as a Free Software activist, Torsten shares his memories of the developments of alternative operating systems and applications for smartphones. Finally, we would not miss this chance to ask him what options there are today for liberating our phones.

This year the FSFE celebrates its 20th anniversary. Support our work for the next 20 years to come

Internal: The FSFE is migrating its IRC presence to Libera Chat.

Learn how to join us. We are moving from Freenode to Libera Chat, following the migration of its network of volunteer staff. We share our thoughts that led the FSFE to migrate its IRC presence.

What we have done

• On June 28th, Erik Albers, Sustainability Programme Manager of the FSFE, spoke at the Round Table "How do we shape and grow a green tech sector?" organised by the Greens/EFA. In his presentation, Erik Albers explained the role software design plays on the environmental impact of digital technologies. The Round Table is part of a wider effort of the Greens/EFA to compose a digital green manifesto.
• On June 23rd, Lucas Lasota, FSFE Deputy Legal Coordinator and Research Associate at Humboldt University of Berlin, moderated a round table on cybersecurity, human rights, and digital sovereignty together with Katerina Yordanova and Elisabetta Biasin from the KU Leuven Centre for IT & IP Law.
• On June 23rd, Irmhild Rogalla gave a talk in the FSFE Women group meeting about the accessibility of video conferencing tools, supporting a conferencing platform for all. The FSFE Women group meets on a monthly basis, and keeps it casual while providing an open space to discuss recent developments in the area of Free Software. Often meetings focus on one specific topic.
• On June 19th, Matthias Kirschner, FSFE's President, presented "20 Years FSFE: The long way for software freedom" at the openSUSE Conference to inform people on our work as an independent organisation.
• On June 18th, Bonnie Mehring, FSFE's junior project manager, presented "Public Money? Public Code!: A campaign framework to promote software freedom" at the openSUSE Conference. In the talk, she explained how the campaign framework can be used to push for the adoption of Free-Software-friendly policies in your area; be it your public administration, your library, your university, your city, your region, or your country.
• On June 16th, the Netherlands-based FSFE team held its regular monthly meeting. The meeting is open to everybody, and can switch to English if not everybody understands Dutch.
• On June 10th, Erik Albers participated in the "Zukunftswerkstatt Smart Living", where experts analyse sustainable design options for the ongoing digitization of our everyday life.
• On June 5th, Lina Ceballos and Alexander Sander gave a 'Public Money? Public Code!' workshop for our Italian community members.
• On June 4th, Lucas Lasota participated at the Impropedia show to talk about Free Software, Router Freedom, and Digital Rights. The event was hosted by KuZe Potsdam.
• On June 1st, Alexander Sander participated in the GnuLinuxNews-Podcast GLN011. He talked about Free Software during the Corona crisis (DE).
• On June 1st, FSFE's Alexander Sander presented the Public Money? Public Code! campaign in Netzpolitischer Abend, organised by Digitale Gesellschaft, and stressed that there are now no political excuses not to implement the concept.
• On May 27th, the FSFE Berlin local group met for their regular meeting which focuses on Education. Miriam from "Die Lernwerkstatt" introduced this organisation and gave a talk on the design of digital learning with tips on related platforms and techniques. A group discussion followed. In the Berlin Fellowship group, everyone is invited to discuss "Free Software and Education", share experiences, and work on liberating knowledge and education in Berlin and beyond.
• On May 26th, Alexander Sander gave a talk explaining why and how pubic administrations should use Free Software. He highlighted the benefits of this practice for public administrations, the economy and the society. The current procurement models and an outlook for the coming years were discussed.

Get active

Pack your T-shirt and educate those around you on the definition of Free Software during your summer holidays. If we have the right to use, study, share, and improve it, then it is Free Software. Our T-shirts are made of 100% organic cotton, and our collection includes a variety of colours and slogans.

Contribute to our newsletter

If you would like to share any thoughts, pictures, or news, please send them to us. As always, the address is newsletter@fsfe.org. We're looking forward to hearing from you! If you also want to support us and our work, join our community and support us with a donation or a monthly contribution. Thanks to our community and all the volunteers, supporters, and donors who make our work possible. And thanks to our translators, who enable you to read this newsletter in your native languages.

Your editor, Fani Partsafyllidou

The biggest financial impact the FSFE faces in these times of physical distancing is the cancellation of Free Software conferences, including our own events. To keep the software freedom movement solid and alive, please consider donating a part of your conference budget to Free Software organisations, including the FSFE.

Support FSFE