= Three conclusions to draw from Google denying Huawei access to software =
[ Online lesen: https://fsfe.org/news/2019/news-20190520-01.de.html ]
Google denies the Chinese IT giant Huawei access to Google's proprietary
components of the Android mobile operating system which threatens IT
security. This highlights the importance Free Software has for
technology users, public bodies, and businesses. The Free Software
Foundation Europe (FSFE) presents three essential lessons from this
case.
Following the U.S. administration's decision to effectively ban American
companies from doing trade with the Chinese company Huawei, Google
suspended all business with the company. This affects all software which
is not covered under Free Software licences. In practice, Huawei's
upcoming and potentially also current phones will no longer get support
and updates for the Android operating system. They will also not have
access to the proprietary Google apps and services like Gmail and Google
Play. Although proprietary software should be avoided in the first
place, especially the latter will put future Huawei user at risk because
without access to the default app store on most stock Android phones
they will miss important security updates for the apps installed through
it.
Google offers only a base version of Android under a Free Software
licence but bundles it together with proprietary apps and services. The
non-free components of most stock Android devices have numerous
downsides for users, as the FSFE has documented since 2012 [1]. Now, the
current case demonstrates that even tech giants like Huawei face similar
dependencies and vendor lock-in effects as any individual users if they
rely on proprietary software.
== Three Conclusions ==
The following lessons can be drawn from this case:
1. The FSFE urges *users* to use Free Software operating systems and
applications on their computing devices. With proprietary software,
they are on the receiving end only and vendors may deny them access
to crucial security updates if the vendor or a government changes its
strategy. Free Software enables control of technology, and the more
important that technology becomes in our daily lives, the more
relevant Free Software becomes for users. For Android, the FSFE helps
users to regain more control with its Free Your Android initiative
[2].
2. *Governments and especially the European Union* should invest more
resources in Free Software to gain independence from large
enterprises and other states. The current case highlights the lack of
influence the EU has on outside technology providers. Instead of
waiting for a future European IT monopolist to enter the stage, the
EU and its members states should invest in Free Software development
[3] and focus on supporting local Free Software organisations as well
as businesses. This would effectively foster the inner-European
market and enable independence for European citizens and the EU
economy. This step is essential for avoiding exposing European
infrastructure to shutdowns controlled by external factors.
3. The FSFE urges *companies* to use as much Free Software as possible
in their supply chains. Proprietary software makes a company
dependent on its vendor and this vendor's government. The current
case shows that the US was able to force Google to stop delivery of
its proprietary products – but could not stop delivery of the Free
Software components of Android. Had Huawei invested more resources in
Free Software apps and services, the US strategy would not have hit
them as hard. Although the current events are linked to the scrutiny
the Chinese company is under right now, it is obvious that this could
happen to any other company based in any other country as well.
The earlier allegations against Huawei already showed that code for all
critical infrastructure should be published under a Free Software
licence [4]. The latest episode of the Huawei affair illustrates that
the same applies to apps and services. Just days before the European
Elections, this should be a wake-up call for the next constituent
Parliament to ask the European Commission for European directives that
foster independence of European technical infrastructure and that build
on Free Software, starting with the demand to release publicly funded
software as public code [5].
Discuss this article [6]
1: https://freeyourandroid.org
2: https://freeyourandroid.org
3: https://publiccode.eu
4: https://fsfe.org/news/2019/news-20190205-01.de.html
5: https://publiccode.eu
6: https://community.fsfe.org/t/three-conclusions-to-draw-from-google-denying-…
== About the Free Software Foundation Europe ==
Free Software Foundation Europe is a charity that empowers users to
control technology. Software is deeply involved in all aspects of our
lives; and it is important that this technology empowers rather than
restricts us. Free Software gives everybody the rights to use,
understand, adapt and share software. These rights help support other
fundamental freedoms like freedom of speech, press and privacy.
The FSFE helps individuals and organisations to understand how Free
Software contributes to freedom, transparency, and self-determination.
It enhances users' rights by abolishing barriers to Free Software
adoption, encourage people to use and develop Free Software, and
provide resources to enable everyone to further promote Free Software
in Europe.
http://fsfe.org
= Freie Software in München – FSFE bedankt sich bei Christine Prayon =
[ Online lesen: https://fsfe.org/news/2019/news-20190515-02.de.html ]
Die Kabarettistin Christine Prayon wurde gestern mit dem mit 10.000 Euro
dotierten Dieter-Hildebrandt-Preis der Landeshauptstadt München für
anspruchsvolles politisches beziehungsweise dezidiert
gesellschaftskritisches Kabarett ausgezeichnet. Das Preisgeld spendet
Prayon der Free Software Foundation Europe.
In der Begründung [1] der Jury heißt es unter anderem über die
Preisträgerin Prayon: "Sie klagt nicht einfach an – sie entlarvt, und
wir sind ihre Zeugen." Ihre Dankesrede nutze die Preisträgerin
entsprechend, um den Finger in die Wunde zu legen: Als vorbildlich
beschreibt Prayon den einstigen Prozess, sich von den Anbietern
proprietärer Software unabhängig zu machen und die komplette Verwaltung
über ein freies System laufen zu lassen. Entsprechend kritisch
kommentierte Prayon den Umstieg zurück auf proprietäre Systeme.
Allein die Umstellung der Arbeitsplätze wird München in den nächsten
sechs Jahren knapp 50 Millionen Euro kosten. Weitere 37 Millionen Euro
fließen in nötigen Umsetzungsprojekte. Die Free Software Foundation
Europe kritisierte diesen Schritt bereits in der Vergangenheit. Die
Umstellung wird die organisatorischen IT-Probleme im alltäglichen
Verwaltungsgeschäft nicht lösen können. Gleichzeitig werden allerdings
neue Abhängigkeiten von Herstellern proprietärer Software entstehen.
Lizenzgebühren werden an die Hersteller gezahlt anstatt diese Gelder
zugunsten der Steuerzahler für die Weiterentwicklung der Software und
für die Kooperation mit anderen Verwaltungen zu nutzen. Die Systeme
werden intransparenter und für die Bürger nicht mehr nachvollziehbar.
Weiterführende Informationen zu den Migrationsplänen der Stadt München
finden Sie hier [2].
München wendet sich damit gegen den Trend: In anderen Verwaltungen wird
mit großem Erfolg auf Freie Software gesetzt. In Frankreich entstehen
seit des 2012 staatlich angeordneten verstärkten Einsatzes Freier
Software zwischen 0,6% und 5,4% mehr Firmen pro Jahr, die Freie Software
nutzen; zwischen 6,6% und 14% mehr Menschen finden jedes Jahr eine
Beschäftigung im IT Sektor. In Barcelona fließt 70% des Budgets für die
Entwicklung neuer Software in Freie Software. Aufträge wurden bisher an
3.000 Unternehmen vergeben, 60% davon KMUs, meist aus der Region. In
kollaborativen Projekten arbeiten immer mehr Städte an gemeinsamen
Softwarelösungen um diese gemeinsam weiterzuentwickeln, Kosten zu sparen
und Risiken aufzuteilen.
Die Free Software Foundation Europe hat daher die Kampagne "Public
Money? Public Code!" ins Leben gerufen, um weitere Verwaltungen davon zu
überzeugen auf Freie Software umzustellen und sie bei der Migration zu
unterstützen. Im Rahmen der Kampagne wurde auch die Fachpublikation
"Public Money Public Code - Modernising Public Infrastructure with Free
Software" veröffentlicht. Die Broschüre zielt darauf ab, Fragen von
Entscheidungsträgern über die Vorteile der Nutzung und Entwicklung
Freier Software für die öffentliche Verwaltung zu beantworten.
Mehr Informationen zu der Kampagne und ihrer Unterstützer finden Sie auf
unserer Kampagnenwebsite publiccode.eu [3], die Broschüre finden Sie
hier [4].
Die Free Software Foundation Europe bedankt sich auch auf diesem Wege
für das Engagement Prayons für Freie Software und die großzügige Spende.
1: https://www.muenchen.de/rathaus/Stadtverwaltung/Kulturreferat/Kulturfoerder…
2: https://fsfe.org/news/2019/news-20190515-01.html
3: https://publiccode.eu/
4: https://fsfe.org/campaigns/publiccode/brochure
== About the Free Software Foundation Europe ==
Free Software Foundation Europe is a charity that empowers users to
control technology. Software is deeply involved in all aspects of our
lives; and it is important that this technology empowers rather than
restricts us. Free Software gives everybody the rights to use,
understand, adapt and share software. These rights help support other
fundamental freedoms like freedom of speech, press and privacy.
The FSFE helps individuals and organisations to understand how Free
Software contributes to freedom, transparency, and self-determination.
It enhances users' rights by abolishing barriers to Free Software
adoption, encourage people to use and develop Free Software, and
provide resources to enable everyone to further promote Free Software
in Europe.
http://fsfe.org