= Three conclusions to draw from Google denying Huawei access to software =
[ Read online: https://fsfe.org/news/2019/news-20190520-01.en.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.en.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
= Free Software in Munich - FSFE thanks cabaret artist Christine Prayon =
[ Read online: https://fsfe.org/news/2019/news-20190515-02.en.html ]
Yesterday, political satirist Christine Prayon was awarded the 10,000
Euro Dieter Hildebrandt Prize of the City of Munich for demanding
political or decidedly socio-critical political satire. Prayon is
donating the prize money to the Free Software Foundation Europe.
The jury states [1], among other things, that the award recipient Prayon
"[...] does not simply accuse - she unmasks, and we are her witnesses".
Prayon herself used her thank-you speech to put the finger on one of
Munich's sore spots: Prayon describes the former genius, progressive
process of making Munich independent of the providers of proprietary
software and letting the complete administration run on a free system.
Prayon then criticised the switch back to proprietary systems.
The migration of workstations back to proprietary software will cost
Munich almost 50 million Euros over the next six years. A further 37
million Euros will have to be invested in implementation projects. The
Free Software Foundation Europe already criticised the migration-project
in the past. The migration will not solve existing organisational IT
problems in the day-to-day administrative business. At the same time new
dependencies on manufacturers of proprietary software will arise and
license fees will be paid to the proprietary manufacturers instead of
using these funds in tax payers' best interest for the further
development of the software and the cooperation with other
administrations. The systems become less transparent and no longer
comprehensible for citizens. Further information on the migration plans
of the City of Munich can be found here [2].
Munich is thus turning against the trend: in other administrations, Free
Software is being used with overwhelming success. Since the French
government decided to start using more Free Software back in 2012,
between 0.6% and 5.4% more companies using Free Software have been
created in France every year; between 6.6% and 14% more people find
employment in the IT sector every year. In Barcelona, 70% of the budget
for the development of new software is used to create Free Software.
Contracts have so far been awarded to 3,000 companies, 60% of them SMEs,
mostly from the region. In collaborative projects, more and more cities
are working on common software solutions and jointly develop them,
saving costs and sharing risks.
The Free Software Foundation Europe has launched the campaign "Public
Money? Public Code!" to convince other administrations to switch to Free
Software and support them in their migration. As part of the campaign,
we published the specialist publication "Public Money Public Code -
Modernising Public Infrastructure with Free Software". The brochure aims
to answer questions from decision-makers about the benefits of using and
developing Free Software for the public administration.
More information about the campaign and its supporters can be found on
our campaign website at publiccode.eu [3], and the brochure can be found
here [4].
The Free Software Foundation Europe would like to take this opportunity
to thank Christine Prayon for her commitment to Free Software and her
generous donation.
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