Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act: Free Software is key!

In the effort of adopting digital policies aligned with people's fundamental rights, the European Parliament is in the process of finding a position on the legal framework for the development and use of AI technologies. The FSFE is following this process so Free Software is included, innovation is fostered, control enhanced, and trust strengthened.

It is clear that digital technologies are advancing at a fast pace, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no exception. Technical improvements, the accumulation of large, detailed datasets and advancement in computer hardware have led to an AI revolution. However, these technologies are a double-edged sword: they have the potential to bring benefits to peoples' lives and to the economy, but also to lead to harmful discrimination and human rights violations. That is the reason we call attention to the important role that Free Software plays in this regard. There is a need for verifiable and trustworthy AI technologies, and Free Software is crucial to achieve this. Our demands in this regard are based on three pillars; innovation, control, and trustworthiness.

AI released under a Free Software license fosters innovation

The collaborative ecosystem that Free Software enhances is key for the development of robust, accurate, and innovative AI solutions. Researchers, scientists, and developers alike can focus on creating new and better AI software if they can reproduce existing work. This reproducibility is doable thanks to the freedoms that Free Software offers (to use, to study, to improve, to share) and constitutes the heart of the scientific process: the creation of new knowledge from what already exists. Not to mention the advantages that this collaborative ecosystem can have in interoperability and cost savings.

Free Software enhances control over AI

Understanding the factors that lead to predictions in AI technologies is important not only for transparency but also for further improvement. Free Software allows everyone to run and test the AI to understand how it works and to identify potential risks that can be fixed if the four freedoms are granted. The right to improve the software is closely related to the avoidance of vendor lock-in. This means a boost in Europe's innovation capacity and competitiveness in this field.

Free Software strengthens trust on AI technologies

AI predictions are subject to errors, which can sometimes even violate fundamental rights. By putting the AI under the oversight of everyone, these perils can be identified and fixed, thus having a positive impact on the trustworthiness of the AI. Trust will enhance the promotion and uptake of these technologies. The freedoms granted by Free Software lay the groundwork for an ecosystem in which acknowledging the potential of AI and control over it can converge.

FSFE's involvement in the European legislative process of AI Technologies

Already for five years, the FSFE has been demanding with its Public Money? Public Code! initiative that publicly financed software must be made publicly available under a Free Software licence. Publicly financed AI technologies also fall under this scope.

We are requiring that public procurement, as well as in-house development, encourage Free Software AI and digital solutions to be used in the public but also private sector. Therefore, public authorities using AI systems should make them publicly available. These demands also apply to public research and public institutions inventing, using, or procuring AI systems.

Thus, with the intention of bringing our demands into the discussion in the European legislative process, we have prepared a dedicated document for decision-makers, with more elaborated arguments on the use of Free Software in AI technologies, which highlights the benefits that Free Software can offer to this crucial regulation.

AI technologies are showing us already the potential that they have to become an important aspect of our daily lives. Therefore a well-thought-out AI legislation that acknowledges the advantages of Free Software is needed. This set of rules will define the framework in which AI technologies can be used and developed. Thereby Europe can become fit for the digital age without undermining our ability to control technology.

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Anchor Free Software in the 2022 German Federal Budget!

The traffic light coalition must anchor its goals for the digitisation of Germany, based on Free Software, as set out in the coalition agreement in the 2022 federal budget. Otherwise, there is a risk of cementing dependencies on individual vendors and losing sovereignty and innovative power.

Together with other associations and organisations such as the Open Source Business Alliance and the Open Knowledge Foundation Germany, the Free Software Foundation Europe calls for, the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) demands to include digital sovereignty in the 2022 federal budget and implement already announced initiatives for software freedom. In an open letter, the signatories address the government groups in the Bundestag and demand that the goals for the digitalisation of Germany, based on Free Software, as set out in the coalition agreement, also be anchored in the 2022 federal budget.

Free Software gives everyone the right to use, study, share and improve applications for any purpose. These freedoms ensure that similar applications do not have to be programmed from scratch every time and, thanks to transparent processes, others do not have to reinvent the wheel. In large projects, expertise and costs can be shared and applications paid for by the general public are available to all. This promotes innovation and saves tax payers money in the medium to long term. Dependencies on vendors are minimised and security issues can be fixed more easily. The Free Software Foundation Europe, together with over 200 organisations, is therefore calling for "Public Money? Public Code!" - If it is public money, it should be public code as well. More information on the initiative: https://publiccode.eu/

The open letter "Consider digital sovereignty in the 2022 federal budget" can be found here.

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Interview with Plasma Mobile developer Bhushan Shah

What are my options if I want to run my phone with Free Software? For our Upcycling Android campaign we interviewed Plasma Mobile developer Bhushan Shah about running a privacy-respecting and secure GNU/Linux phone ecosystem on your phone.

KDE is an international Free Software community founded in 1996, and KDE e.V. is an associated organisation of the FSFE. In 2014, KDE first released Plasma, a graphical workspace environment which became one of its core projects. Plasma Mobile is a Plasma 5 variant for Linux-based smartphones. Bhushan Shah is a developer in the Plasma Mobile project since 2015. We chatted with Bhushan to learn more about this promising project. In this interview Bhushan explains why using Plasma Mobile benefits one's privacy, and how to get started. Enjoy!

FSFE: Hello Bhushan 🙂 thank you for joining!

Bhushan Shah: Hello! Good morning! 🙂

FSFE: As a start we would like to learn a few things about you, like how did you first become interested in Free Software and how did you start working at Plasma Mobile?

Bhushan: Sure. My first exposure to Free Software was a Linux course at University, which made me interested in Linux and open source in general. As part of that I started writing articles for Linux news sites (Muktware), and that introduced me to the KDE community. Basically, as I grew closer to the KDE community as a user I started using my development skills to contribute back, and then I never looked back. I was working with the KDE community as a contributor when they announced Plasma Mobile, and I was hired to work on Plasma Mobile by Bluesystems GmbH. That was in 2015, and after that I grew much closer to the Plasma Mobile project, both in technical terms and as a "movement" to provide an open alternative to Android/iOS 🙂

FSFE: What is your current role in Plasma Mobile?

Bhushan: Currently I am working as a developer and maintainer of the Plasma Mobile project. I should note that being the maintainer does not make me BDFL* 😉 and responsibility for each of the components still stays with all contributors. 🙂

FSFE: Perfect, because we would like you to share with us what is Plasma Mobile? How is it different to other mobile operating systems? Pretend we hear about Free Software for the first time.

Bhushan: Right. In purely technical terms, Plasma Mobile is a collection of various software components, but I'd like to think of it more as a ecosystem of mobile software which is open by nature and has a community-first approach.

Other mobile operating systems like Android and iOS have development done behind closed doors by large corporations and will only provide new releases as a either huge code dump or will not even provide a source code in some cases, while Plasma Mobile aims to provide a complete transparent development process where each change is developed together with the community, and is available with licenses that allow anyone to use, inspect and develop onward.

Our goal is that every user, developer, designer, translator can take part in the development and the community of Plasma Mobile and can work on improving it. As for what makes Plasma Mobile, again this is technical points, but Plasma Mobile includes a shell or user interface, applications, and distribution / base system for various mobile devices.

FSFE: Sounds like a vast collaborative project. We would also like to learn what would you say to someone who has decided to opt for a Free Software operating system, and has to choose between an Android-based custom-ROM or a full GNU/Linux distribution, like Plasma Mobile. What are the main differences, and what should a user have in mind to make the right choice?

Bhushan: Right, this is a question which will yield 10 different answers if you ask 10 different people 😄

But ultimately it depends on what the user wants from their device. There are some use cases, for example banking or mobile payment applications, which unfortunately are not easily possible when you use the full Linux based distribution, as the market for such operating systems is still little bit of a niche and app developers do not support these distributions. That said, there are solutions like Waydroid which allow one to run such essential android applications on the GNU/Linux system.

If you do not have such use cases where you need an Android device in your daily life then a full Linux-based system is definitely a better choice, compared to let's say LineageOS or a de-googled device, due to software freedoms it provides. So the bottom line is, each user will have a different use case and while we can try our best to match user expectation, ultimately the user will have to make the decision here.

I think the main difference that will impact users is the app ecosystem available to them. While the Mobile Linux app ecosystem is growing, unfortunately it is not anywhere close to what Android and iOS have right now. We as a community and Free Software enthusiasts will have to work on improving this aspect of the Free Software mobile ecosystem. 🙂

FSFE: Thanks. What is the quickest way to start using Plasma Mobile? If I am looking to buy a new device and I am interested in Plasma Mobile, what are my options?

Bhushan: There are certain vendors like Pine64 and Purism, who have "Linux first" devices like PinePhone, PinePhone Pro, and Librem 5 which should support the Plasma Mobile without much hassle. Pine64 devices ship with Plasma Mobile as the default even, but if these are not an option for you for whatever reason, then the postmarketOS community is also working on adding support for off-the-shelf Android devices in the mainline Linux kernel. You can find a list of supported devices in this page.

FSFE: Great. And once we have Plasma Mobile, what are your most beloved apps you would recommend us?

Bhushan: Most distributions come with some basic set of applications like Dialer, SMS application, Clock, Setting applications etc. We have a list of applications on the Plasma Mobile website that you can go through.

My personal favourite, however, if you ask, is KDE connect for interacting and controlling other devices using Plasma Mobile devices 😉

FSFE: Plasma Mobile states to be a privacy respecting phone ecosystem. How does Plasma Mobile secure peoples' privacy?

Bhushan: Right. A lot of applications and software in the current mobile ecosystem are built with one basic aim of tracking users and collecting multiple GBs of data about users.

Almost all of this is sold as "Improving user experience" or "features" so users have no idea that their data is being harvested. Do you want to activate your phone with voice? Do you want to share your live location with your friend? Do you maybe want to unlock your device with a fingerprint or eye tracking?

Most users will say yes to this and Android/iOS will mine this data, use it for targeted advertisements and in the worst case will share with state actors who want to spy on users. We at Plasma Mobile have committed to building a ecosystem where user privacy is respected, Apart from opt-in very basic telemetry kde.org does not collect any of the user data, and we work on adding the same set of user enhancements without hidden data collection or targeted advertisements.

In addition to this, being open by nature means that users are free to audit the application/software installed on their device for any anti-privacy features or hidden trackers 🙂

FSFE: The contrast with the dominant mobile ecosystems in matters of privacy is striking indeed. Going back to other devices - GNU/Linux systems are famous for being able to run on a variety of devices. Can I use Plasma mobile on other devices except phones, or is that planned for the future?

Bhushan: Yes, you can use Plasma Mobile on the tablet/desktop devices as well. In fact a lot of us developers develop Plasma Mobile by running it initially on the desktop 🙂 Some distributions offer Live Images that you can boot on your laptop to test drive Plasma Mobile.

FSFE: Sounds fun! As a last question, we would like to ask you what motivates you in your work for Plasma Mobile?

Bhushan: My motivation is two-fold. First is I very much believe in the vision of Plasma Mobile, and I would like to help the KDE community achieve that goal, and my second motivation is technology. I am a developer at heart and Plasma Mobile is supported by various technologies and developing on it is fun!

FSFE: Thank you Bhushan, for the interview and also for offering us a privacy-friendly alternative to the current mobile world. I wish all the best to the Plasma Mobile project, which contributes to software freedom.

Bhushan: Thank you very much!

* BDFL: Acronym for 'benevolent dictator for life' satirizes the power of the developers of Free Software projects who have the final say in a dispute.

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SFP#14: The world of mesh networking with Elektra Wagenrad

With this episode the Software Freedom Podcast opens the door to the fascinating and sometimes complex world of mesh networking. And who better than Elektra Wagenrad can take us on this journey? Elektra is one of the original developers of the B.A.T.M.A.N. protocol and the person behind the Mesh potato project.

In our 14th Software Freedom Podcast episode Matthias Kirschner talks with our guest, Elektra Wagenrad, about the origins of Freifunk, the B.A.T.M.A.N. protocol, and the Mesh Potato project. If you are new to the world of mesh networking this episodes is an easy entrance to it. Elektra not only explains the theory behind the protocols but also dives deeper into the philosophical idea of it. In this context, Matthias and Elektra also touch on the difficult topic of limiting the use of Free Software, using the example of the former ban on the use of the B.A.T.M.A.N. protocol for military activities. Last but not least they also discuss the EU’s Radio Equipment Directive and the FSFE's Router Freedom activity.

With this episode, the Software Freedom Podcast produced an easy to follow and easy to understand podcast for everybody who is interested in mesh networking. Join us on our journey through this fascinating technical and philosophical world and listen to Elektra and Matthias as they tell the story with its ups and downs.

If you clicked on the image of Elektra Wagenrad to come to this page, this image is licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0 and created by Andrea Behrendt.

Read more:

• What is Free Software?
• Freifunk
• Open-Mesh Project
• The "Mesh Potato" project
• FSFE’s activity on Radio Lockdown
• FSFE's Router Freedom activity

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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L'application Okular de KDE devient le premier programme informatique éco-certifié

Okular, la visionneuse de documents universelle de KDE, est le premier logiciel à recevoir l'écolabel Blue Angel. La FSFE félicite Okular pour ce pas qui confirme les intérêts environnementaux d'utiliser et de développer des Logiciels Libres. Ensemble avec notre initiative Upcycling Android, nous faisons campagne pour des libertés d'utilisateur universelles dans l'UE dans les mois qui viennent.

Les Logiciels Libres ont de nombreux intérêts au regard des libertés des utilisateurs, de la transparence, de la modularité et du contrôle — pour n'en citer que quelques-uns. Au-delà de ces aspects plutôt techniques, le contrôle sur la technologie influence directement nos sociétés et nos démocraties. C'est finalement la raison pour laquelle la FSFE est votre association caritative : pour donner aux gens le moyen de contrôler la technologie.

Moins bien connus sont les intéràts que les Logiciels Libres offrent à une société numérique plus durable. La recherche contemporaine montre une corrélation de plus en plus problématique entre le saut vers le numérique en cours et son impact sur les émissions de gaz à effet de serre et le changement du climat. La plupart de ces émissions de gaz à effet de serre viennent de la production de matériel, sa livraison dans le monde entier, l'énergie pour faire marcher ce matériel et l'énergie nécessaire pour les flux de données et pour connecter tous ces appareils c'est-à-dire Internet et le streaming.

Okular est le premier logiciel à recevoir l'écolabel Blue Angel

Pour cette fin, l'Agence environnementale allemande (Umweltbundesamt) a développé des critères de récompense pour l'écolabel Blue Angel pour « Produits Logiciels Efficaces avec les Ressources et l'Énergie ». Le Blue Angel est le premier label environnemental établi dans le monde pour les logiciels efficaces en termes d'énergie ; c’est le premier label de ce type. Cet écolabel récompense les logiciels qui effectuent la même fonction que d'autres logiciels en utilisant le même matériel mais en consommant moins d'énergie. À présent, l'application Okular de KDE est le premier produit logiciel à être certifié du nouveau sceau, et ainsi, Okular devient le premier programme informatique éco-certifié. Le Blue Angel a certifié Okular pour une série d'intérêts pour l'environnement et la santé, en particulier pour « sauvegarder les ressources », être « efficace en termes d'énergie » et offrir « des interfaces transparentes ».

Et partant que la communauté de KDE a démarré une initiative appelée KDE Eco, nous savons qu'elle travaille à amener plus de Logiciels Libres à être récompensés pour être plus efficaces en termes d'énergie dans les moins à venir.

Les Logiciels Libres sont cruciaux pour étendre la durée de vie des matériels

L'efficacité énergétique des Logiciels Libres, leur modularité et d'autres aspects combattent un problème supplémentaire du saut vers le numérique en cours : les souvent trop courtes durées de vie des matériels causés par l'obsolescence logicielle. Ladite « obsolescence logicielle » survient lorsque le fabricant d'un appareil cesse le support des logiciels nécessaires pour exécuter l'appareil comme il faut. Une solution pour vaincre l'obsolescence logicielle est de remplacer les logiciels ou systèmes d'exploitation propriétaires par des Logiciels Libres. Un grand nombre d'entre nous ont entendu parler d'ordinateurs portables, netbooks et ordinateurs de bureau avec des matériels datant de plusieurs années qui sont « obsolètes » pour des systèmes d'exploitation propriétaires mais qui fonctionnent bien en utilisant des systèmes GNU/Linux. Montrant cela avec les Logiciels Libres, vous faites d'une pierre deux coups: vous pouvez continuer d'utiliser votre appareil et peut-être le voir fonctionner encore mieux — et vous obtenez des libertés.

La même chose s'applique à d'autres appareils que les ordinateurs : par exemple, les téléphones. À la FSFE, nous sensibilisons et attaquons l'obsolescence logicielle avec notre nouvelle initiative Upcycling Android. Cette initiative propose d'étendre la durée de vie de nos téléphones à l'aide de Logiciels Libres. Chaque fois que nous continuons d'utiliser notre téléphone actuel au lieu d'en acheter un nouveau, nous aidons à éviter la production de nouveaux téléphones et l'augmentation du gaspillage électronique.

Activités de la FSFE sur les Logiciels Libres et la durabilité numérique

Outre notre campagne publique de sensibilisation, nous levons notre voix pendant les négociations sur les changements à venir au regard de l'écoconception européenne. À la Free Software Foundation Europe, nous utilisons cette chance historique pour défendre le droit universel d'installer et désinstaller tout système d'exploitation et tout logiciel sur tout appareil. Dans le même temps, nous aidons directement les utilisateurs à flasher leurs téléphones et à installer des systèmes d'exploitation Libres en animant des ateliers dans diverses villes. Pour finir, nous faisons partie du comité d'organisation de Bits & Bäume, la conférence européenne la plus influente sur la durabilité numérique et les Logiciels Libres qui aura lieu en automne cette année.

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