Podcast episodes +++ Router Freedom tech wiki +++ Become our policy intern

We are starting 2024 with a lot of energy, looking for a policy intern and with great news: two new SFP episodes, the Router Freedom tech wiki, the ‘Ada & Zangemann’ ebook is free of charge in French, and we are looking forward to celebrating ‘I Love Free Software Day’ on 14 February!

Table of contents

1. Software Freedom Podcast: Listen to our episodes about ‘What is Free Software’ and ‘Public Money? Public Code!’
2. Router Freedom: Good news: our tech wiki is now online! Bad news: Austria goes against Router Freedom
3. Spread the Word! We are looking for a policy intern
4. Unblocking User Freedom: The right to use adblockers
5. ‘Ada & Zangemann’: What pupils write about proprietary software and why it motivates the author
6. Italian Community Meeting 2023
7. Get Involved: I Love Free Software Day
8. Quote of the Month
9. Contribute to our Newsletter

Software Freedom Podcast: Listen to our episodes about ‘What is Free Software’ and ‘Public Money? Public Code!’

During the past weeks we published two new episodes of our Software Freedom Podcast!

In our episode number 23, some FSFE staffers play a guessing game with terms related to Free Software. This is the perfect episode for you to learn more about it and get a better understanding of some terms that you might not use daily.

Before that, we talked with Johannes Näder, Senior Policy Project Manager at the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE), about "Public Money? Public Code!", in our 22nd episode.

Router Freedom: Good news: our tech wiki is now online! Bad news: Austria goes against Router Freedom

Have you ever thought about installing your own router but never had the chance to learn how to do it? Now you can with our Router Freedom tech wiki, which provides information on the necessary steps you need to use to connect your own router! With the help of our team of volunteers from the Netherlands, you can check all the necessary steps to start using your own home router. Our policy and advocacy work continues, notwithstanding some regulatory hurdles. The Austrian Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and Telecommunications decided not to regulate the network operators with regard to Router Freedom, allowing Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to impose their equipment on consumers. We will continue to seek alternative ways to promote Router Freedom in the country.

Spread the Word! We are looking for a policy intern

The FSFE team is looking for a motivated intern to support the FSFE’s policy activities and contribute to our work to empower people to control technology. The person will work 35 hours per week with our team in the FSFE Berlin office for a period of six months.

"I joined FSFE as an intern in March 2023 because I have always been interested in European politics and because the slogan "Public Money? Public Code!" resonated deeply with my beliefs. The experience at FSFE has been great: I learned how to make our voice heard and I am proud of being part of a community of many amazing people working and volunteering for software freedom.” - Dario Presutti, former policy intern

Unblocking User Freedom: The right to use adblockers

Companies increasingly aim to control how users interact with their content online, threatening user freedom. As more companies crack down on browser extensions and other third-party software used by internet users to customise their experiences, two recent German court cases on adblockers could strengthen the legal case for user control over technology.

Interesting? Read our news item to find out more about this topic.

"Ada & Zangemann": What pupils write about proprietary software and why it motivates the author

Pupils all over the world are learning about the story of "Ada & Zangemann - A Tale of Software, Skateboards and Raspberry Ice Cream": it is encouraging to see how new generations are inspired to start coding and to write to Zangemann about his behaviour. Check out this message from our president, Matthias Kirschner, to our readers.

The story of "Ada & Zangemann" is now available in French and, thanks to the French Ministry of Education, you can download the ebook free of charge at https://cfeditions.com/ada(FR). And if you want to read the story about how this book was translated into French by some students, do not forget to read the quote there (FR) from Alexis Kauffmann, head of the Free Software and educational resources project at the Ministry of Education and Youth and founder of Framasoft.

Italian Community Meeting 2023

More than 20 volunteers and associations' members from all over Italy, online and in person, gathered in Bolzano for the Italian Community Meeting during SFSCON 2023 to discuss the future of Free Software in Italy. You can enjoy the recording of the workshop in our Peertube Channel.

A sneak peek at the main topics discussed by our participants: Free Software in schools, the creation of a toolkit which can be adopted by all organizations to encourage the use of Free Software, and raising awareness about Free Software with the general public through simplified information!

Get Involved: I Love Free Software Day

On 14 February, we gather to celebrate "I Love Free Software Day". Join our local groups' events on that date, organise your own gathering, and/or send a message to thank the contributors of the Free Software project you really like.

For “I Love Free Software Day 2024: Forging the future with Free Software”, we want to focus on engaging young generations in Free Software as they are the ones who will shape the next years. For more information, ideas, and inspiration check out the 'I Love Free Software' activity page!.

Quote of the Month

“Dear Zangemann, I used to like your inventions in fact I still like them but you are starting to use them in the wrong way. It’s not fair that some people have to eat, drink and listen to music they don’t like. When you do that to people can see you inside and how selfish you are. It’s much better if you share your inventions because it doesn’t mean they are stealing it, it means they just are borrowing it, and making it better. So please share your ideas. It will make our planet much better.”

— Nikita (from one of the letters sent to Zangemann)

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 editors, Ana and Tommi

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The FSFE at the 37C3: Unlocked

The Free Software Foundation Europe, along with more than 10.000 hackers, took part in the 37th Chaos Communication Congress. It was a great pleasure to be back in Hamburg and to join the Chaos family for another amazing four-day congress. Thank you all for coming and participating in the Chaos!

At the end of 2023, the Chaos Communication Congress returned as an in-person event at the Congress Centre Hamburg. This renowned annual gathering is one of the most important technology conferences, not only in Europe but also worldwide. It brings together developers, technical experts, civil society advocates, and individuals passionate about building a better society.

The FSFE was once again part of the Bits & Bäume assembly, where we had our booth to spread the word about Free Software, our work, and our activities. Here we were surrounded by our t-shirts, socks, books, and stickers. Many familiar faces visited the booth, either to refill their stickers or get one of our new shirts. However, as always at the Chaos events, many new people also stopped by to learn more about our work and Free Software in general. It was wonderful to have so many well-prepared volunteers and staff members with us who were able to answer all questions or direct them to the right people. Thank you all for your great support at the booth!

The FSFE was also represented with two workshops, two lighting talks, an ‘Ada & Zangemann’ reading, and a puzzle session. At the Bits & Bäume assembly we had a great and busy workshop area, which was opened by Tobias Diekershoff with a session on the REUSE tool. Over 25 people attended this workshop, a third of them with previous knowledge of the tool and even great ideas for future development, and others who had their first contact with REUSE.

Our second workshop was also hosted by Tobias Diekershoff, who, for the first time, talked about how to run an NGO on Free Software. This workshop was attended by an audience of around 40 people, including many NGO representatives who wanted to learn how to integrate more Free Software into their daily work. As shown in the following discussion, not all of them had previous knowledge of Free Software, so they asked for more documentation on the subject and examples of tools to be used for managing their daily tasks and communication.

Both lightning talks, “Youth Hacking 4 Freedom” by Bonnie Mehring and “The Free Software Foundation Europe” by Ana Galán, went quite well. Lightning talks usually attract a larger crowd at the Chaos Communication Congress, so it was no surprise that the hall was packed with hundreds of people. It was a great pleasure to reach out to so many people and introduce them to the FSFE and our activities.

Of course, we also had a reading of our well-known story 'Ada & Zangemann'. Bonnie Mehring had a pleasant time reading the book to a lot of kids at the Bits & Bäume workshop space. As in previous sessions led by Bonnie Mehring, the session ended with a warm discussion about our favourite ice cream. It was fun to connect with the youngest participants about Free Software.

All in all, attending the Chaos Communication Congress was a great experience for our team, as we also had time to attend several talks, widen our network, enjoy being an “angel” helping with congress tasks, and have fun while spreading the word about software freedom. It really is worth a visit for everyone. It is not your usual conference but it is much more than that. We can’t wait to see you at the next Chaos events!

Stay tuned and subscribe to our information updates and follow us on peertube.

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Are you ready for ‘I Love Free Software Day’ 2024?

Every year, on 14 February, the FSFE, together with Free Software organisations around the globe, celebrates “I Love Free Software Day”: a special day of appreciation to all the contributors to Free Software projects, large or small.

As Free Software powers the tools we use every day, we want to create an occasion to celebrate the ones making it happen! Whether they are developers, system administrators, community moderators, reviewers, enthusiasts, there are many incredibly passionate people working behind the scenes to make the world a better place, one string at a time.

We celebrate those who advocate for Free Software and those who support it in any other way, and we show our appreciation to the countless contributors to software freedom. We also take this opportunity to promote Free Software, software that is free to use, to understand, to improve, and to share.

We strongly believe that the Free Software communities are a friendly and welcoming place. We all strive to be excellent to each other! On the “I Love Free Software Day” we share our appreciation and love for Free Software with those around us. A simple “Thank you” motivates others to keep contributing, encourage new people to join, and form a friendly and welcoming community. A simple “Thank you” is enough to share your appreciation for Free Software and its contributors. Join the “I Love Free Software Day 2024: Forging the future with Free Software” and share your appreciation for Free Software.

For the “I Love Free Software Day 2024: Forging the future with Free Software”, we want to focus on engaging the young generation in Free Software as they are the ones who will shape the future. Therefore, we invite you to organise an event aimed at younger people to highlight their contributions to Free Software.

For more ideas on how to participate in the upcoming “I Love Free Software Day 2024: Forging the future with Free Software”, here are some suggestions:

• create a short video with a “Thank You” message to your favourite Free Software project. You can then share it via your preferred social media channel with the hashtag #ilovefs.
• With our Sharepic Generator, create a Sharepic of yourself and include a personal “Thank You” message. Then you can share it on social media using the hashtag #ilovefs.
• Organise a local get-together with your colleagues, friends, or family to celebrate and recognize the work of the contributors of Free Software. Maybe there is also an FSFE local group close to you so you can reach them.
• Order, for free, some ilovefs stickers and posters!
• Take pictures and share them on social media with #ilovefs.
• Order, for free, some ilovefs postcards to send to your favourite Free Software project or contributor!
• Share your knowledge about Free Software and spread the word about the four freedoms: Use, Understand, Share, and Improve.
• For more information, ideas, and inspiration check out the I Love Free Software activity page!

The “I Love Free Software Day” is an important tradition for the Free Software community. The more that people participate in this day, the more we can show how important Free Software contributors and developers are to our society. Take a few moments on Wednesday, 14 February, to show your love for Free Software!

And, please do not hesitate to contact us if you need any more information or any help!

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SFP#23: What is Free Software? A Christmas podcast to learn about Free Software

These days are quite special, right? So is our Christmas Software Freedom Podcast episode! In this 23rd episode, the FSFE goes crazy and has fun playing a guessing game with terms related to Free Software. This is the perfect episode for you to learn more about your favourite type of software: Free Software!

Our podcast host, Bonnie Mehring meets with Matthias Kirschner, the FSFE's President, Gabriel Ku Wei Bin, member of the FSFE's legal team, and Tobias Diekershof, the FSFE's System Administrator, to play a little guessing game about Free Software basic terms.

This episode has something for everybody, no matter if you are already part of the Free Software universe or if you just arrived in this world. It is the perfect episode to learn more about Free Software. Share this episode with your family so they finally understand what you are talking about, when you talk about GNU 😉.

And do not forget to stop the audio and have a guess yourself! ♥♥♥

Show notes

• Book by Lawrence Lessig: Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace
• "FSFE's initiative: Upcycling Android"
• How to Upcycle your smartphone
• Next Generation Internet
• Learn more about: What is Free Software?
• Read more about Free Software in our newsletter.

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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Unblocking User Freedom: the right to use adblockers

Companies increasingly aim to control how users interact with their content online, threatening user freedom. As more companies crack down on browser extensions and other third-party software used by internet users to customise their experiences, two recent German court cases on adblockers could strengthen the legal case for user control over technology.

Advertisements are a part of our lives, including our digital ones. They are in the websites we browse, the search results we receive, and the online news we read. Tired of receiving so many ads, some users try to avoid them by installing an adblocker. But is this a legal practice? Is using adblockers an act of restricting market autonomy, or do they help achieve user freedom?

Imagine a scenario where website owners hold copyright over their websites, including whatever ads they place, and could effectively sue for copyright infringement if users were to remove or suppress ads when visiting these websites. This hypothetical situation would enable any website copyright holder to use the legal system to stop any ordinary user on the internet who tries to bypass these ads. This would lead to an internet where unsolicited information and advertisements are imposed on users. Fortunately, recent court decisions have at least prevented this hypothetical from becoming a reality in Germany.

Is it legal to use adblockers? The lawsuit in question

Using an adblocker is the main way in which many internet users bypass ads and pop-ups when accessing websites. Adblockers usually come in the form of browser extensions and plugins that filter out unwanted ads for an ad-free internet browsing experience.

As the use of these adblockers increases, some companies have begun considering whether it is legal for users to be able to block their ads. This was the case in Germany when Axel Springer SE (Axel Springer), one of Germany’s largest publishing companies, engaged in lawsuits against Eyeo GmbH (Eyeo), the creator of Adblock Plus (a Free Software adblocking tool licensed under the GPLv3). These lawsuits have resulted in a legal battle for user freedom and an open internet.

In the case of Adblock Plus, ads are blocked according to filter rules maintained in a so-called “black list”, which users use as a default setting. The extension offers ad providers the possibility of having their ads excluded from this black list (and included in a “white list”) by complying with “acceptable advertising standards”, disclosing their annual turnover, and paying a sum to Eyeo. Users will only see ads that have been included in the white list, but they also have the option of blocking ads from both white and black lists altogether.

Axel Springer filed several suits in Germany against Eyeo on the grounds that the Adblock Plus extension interfered with their business, alleging that by blocking its advertisements, Eyeo had engaged in anti-competitive measures. According to Axel Springer, Eyeo’s business model constituted:

1. Targeted obstruction and aggressive business practice; and
2. A violation of freedom of the press.

The right not to be advertised to

After ruling that the option to use adblockers is a decision that internet users should be able to make, the courts in Germany ruled that user rights not only include the freedom to express an opinion and to receive information, but also the rights to refrain from expressing an opinion and to refuse to receive imposed information. In doing so, the rulings considered a user’s interest in being spared from obtrusive advertising.

Accordingly, internet users are simply exercising their right to not have certain forms of advertising displayed when visiting internet websites when they choose to make use of an adblocker. Adblock Plus’s business model, according to the courts, was therefore a marketable service offer which was not primarily aimed at impairing the competitive development of Axel Springer. In the opinion of the courts, Adblock Plus also does not directly interfere with the business, as users retain autonomy to do as they wish with the settings of the add-on after installation. Users can block or wish to see only the ads in the whitelist. Adblock Plus is therefore merely a product whose use is decided solely by the internet user.

The HTML argument: does the use of adblockers constitute a modification of a computer program?

Axel Springer also submitted an argument to the German courts that their websites would be protected under German copyright law as a copyrighted computer program, and that their HTML code would similarly be covered under this ambit because of the control components it included. Because of how Adblock Plus interacts with its website, Axel Springer therefore claimed that copies and adaptations of the code in its website were violations of copyright made without permission.

In both the initial court ruling and the decision on the subsequent appeal in favour of Eyeo, the court disagreed with Axel Springer and held that the use of Adblock Plus solely affects the program flow through external commands, without altering the program’s essence or generating a changed version. Thus, the use of the extension results in a mere browser configuration carried out by users according to their preferences.

The courts noted that internet users do not require permission from website owners when they want to make the website look better for themselves. Modern websites are made up of many separate parts that can be technically distinguished from each other, including text, images, and videos, as well as software that is embedded in the HTML page. For the courts, it wasn’t enough that these software components were used in the website’s HTML page to mean that the website itself was a protectable computer program. We can therefore infer that adblockers do not infringe upon a program’s protections.

Downsides of the case

Nevertheless, some aspects in the judgments are still not ideal in promoting the average user’s rights. While user freedom means that users are able to use the tools that they wish to when browsing the World Wide Web, the court nevertheless preserved Axel Springer’s right to exclude users with an activated adblocker from accessing its content. This can be understood as an approval on the use of adblock detection tools by companies like Axel Springer.

Unfortunately, the court also mentioned that Axel Springer can convert its content into a paid access model, justifying this measure as an element inherent for competition. We fear that this tacit approval can result in paywalls and adblock detection tools becoming the basic standard on the internet.

More importantly, tools to detect the use of adblockers go against Art. 5(3) of the ePrivacy directive, which mandates that websites must seek consent before accessing or storing information about a user’s device. The EU commission has confirmed that, Art. 5(3) of the ePrivacy directive is not just limited to cookies but ‘all types of information’ stored or accessed in the user’s terminal device. This applies to the storage by websites of scripts in users’ terminal equipment to detect if users have installed or are using adblockers.

A win for user freedom?

With many service providers and websites on the internet following the trend of restricting users with adblockers from accessing their services, these court decisions in Germany help build precedents that uphold and recognize principles of user freedom.

Indeed, these decisions support the principles of a Next Generation Internet, including ensuring that internet users can make individual choices and exercise their freedom of expression, in ways in which they can freely develop and use new extensions and browser features to enhance their online experience and user control.

Despite the steps forward for user control found in these judgments, they do not go as far as we would hope to secure user freedom when using the internet, and are still subject to appeals and therefore may not be final. We will keep an eye on the legal proceedings in this case and keep you updated when new developments occur. In the meantime, the court cases can be read on the Bundesgerichtshof and Landesgerichts websites. If you are aware of any similar cases or other developments to support user freedom in any other member states in the EU, then please do share and reach out to us!

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