303 lines
13 KiB
HTML
303 lines
13 KiB
HTML
|
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
|
|||
|
|
<html newsdate="2032-04-05" type="newsletter">
|
|||
|
|
<version>1</version>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<head>
|
|||
|
|
<title>AI in EU +++ Open letter to Bundestag +++ Plasma Mobile +++ Meshnet</title>
|
|||
|
|
</head>
|
|||
|
|
<body microformats="h-entry">
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<h1 id="ai-in-eu-open-letter-to-bundestag-plasma-mobile-meshnet">AI in EU +++ Open letter to Bundestag +++ Plasma Mobile +++ Meshnet</h1>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
In our April Newsletter, we welcome the promising developments on
|
|||
|
|
AI in the EU. We address the German Government to demand a clear
|
|||
|
|
budget for Free Software. We interview Plasma Mobile developer
|
|||
|
|
Bhushan Shah, and talk with Elektra Wagenrad in a podcast episode
|
|||
|
|
about Mesh Networking. We congratulate KDE on the world's first
|
|||
|
|
eco-certified software.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<h2 id="european-parliament-recognises-free-software-as-key-for-fair-ai">European Parliament recognises Free Software as key for fair AI</h2>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
The Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in a Digital Age
|
|||
|
|
(AIDA) of the European Parliament voted on its resolution on the
|
|||
|
|
Artificial Intelligence in a Digital Age on March 22nd, and
|
|||
|
|
underlined the importance of Free Software for AI with a broad
|
|||
|
|
majority. We now ask EU co-legislators to take this position into
|
|||
|
|
account and to include provisions and guidelines on Free Software
|
|||
|
|
in the upcoming legislation.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
Public authorities using AI systems should make them publicly
|
|||
|
|
available. Public research inventing AI systems should make them
|
|||
|
|
publicly available. Transparency in AI technologies is necessary to
|
|||
|
|
test them, evaluate their results, and improve them. <a href="/news/2022/news-20220330-01.html">The FSFE
|
|||
|
|
is following closely the legislative process</a> and analysed <a href="https://download.fsfe.org/campaigns/AIandFS/fsfe_AIandFreesoftware.pdf">how
|
|||
|
|
AI can remain verifiable and trustworthy as well as lead to further
|
|||
|
|
innovation</a> with Free Software.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<h2 id="germany-has-ambitious-free-software-plans-will-it-realise-them-">Germany has ambitious Free Software plans. Will it realise them?</h2>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
The coalition agreement of the German government set digitisation
|
|||
|
|
as a priority and Free Software as a secure and transparent
|
|||
|
|
solution. 100 days into the new German government in office, no
|
|||
|
|
action has been taken. On the contrary, German administrations are
|
|||
|
|
alarmingly close to using Microsoft products, giving up the chance
|
|||
|
|
to adopt a strategy based on open interfaces. Alexander Sander, the
|
|||
|
|
FSFE's Policy Consultant, explains: "Instead of finally
|
|||
|
|
providing a 'Free Software cloud' for administrations, the
|
|||
|
|
new government will again rely on costly proprietary
|
|||
|
|
applications." <a href="/news/2022/news-20220315-01.html">We call
|
|||
|
|
upon the government to follow its own plans</a>.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
Specifically, together with other actors such as the Open Source
|
|||
|
|
Business Alliance and the Open Knowledge Foundation Germany, the
|
|||
|
|
FSFE demands that the German government <a href="/news/2022/news-20220328-01.html">includes
|
|||
|
|
digital sovereignty in the 2022 federal budget</a> and implement
|
|||
|
|
already announced initiatives for software freedom. In an <a href="https://download.fsfe.org/policy/letters/20220328-German-Budget-and-Free-Software-2022.de.pdf">open
|
|||
|
|
letter (DE)</a> the signatories address the government groups in
|
|||
|
|
the Bundestag.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<h2 id="plasma-mobile-running-a-privacy-respecting-and-secure-gnu-linux-phone">Plasma Mobile: Running a privacy-respecting and secure GNU/Linux phone</h2>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
What are my options if I want to run my phone with Free Software?
|
|||
|
|
We interviewed Plasma Mobile developer Bhushan Shah to learn more
|
|||
|
|
about the project. Plasma Mobile is a full Linux-based system which
|
|||
|
|
offers a complete transparent development process. When it comes to
|
|||
|
|
privacy, Plasma Mobile is one of the most secure operating systems
|
|||
|
|
for phones. There is no tracking, spying, nor data mining to craft
|
|||
|
|
targeted ads. <a href="/news/2022/news-20220323-01.html">Bhushan
|
|||
|
|
gives a clear overview of Plasma Mobile, including how it is
|
|||
|
|
developed, and how to get it</a>.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<figure>
|
|||
|
|
<a href="/news/2022/news-20220323-01.html">
|
|||
|
|
<img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/medium/b9b1f761fd936faa0aab1e11fe3f70bd.jpg" alt="7 people in front of a garden and a building in a summer day"/>
|
|||
|
|
</a>
|
|||
|
|
<figcaption>
|
|||
|
|
Bhushan Shah (second from left), developer in the Plasma Mobile project since 2015.
|
|||
|
|
</figcaption>
|
|||
|
|
</figure>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<h2 id="listen-to-our-new-podcast-episode-discover-mesh-networking-">Listen to our new podcast episode. Discover mesh networking.</h2>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
<a href="/news/podcast/episode-14.html">In our new
|
|||
|
|
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</a>. If you are
|
|||
|
|
new to the world of mesh networking this episode is an easy
|
|||
|
|
entrance to it. Elektra explains the theory behind the protocols
|
|||
|
|
and dives deeper into its philosophical idea.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<figure>
|
|||
|
|
<a href="/news/2022/news-20220323-01.html">
|
|||
|
|
<img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/medium/0bf10017e47d8510d09d6058db413290.png" alt="Portrait of a woman smiling"/>
|
|||
|
|
</a>
|
|||
|
|
<figcaption>
|
|||
|
|
Elektra Wagenrad, one of the original developers of the
|
|||
|
|
B.A.T.M.A.N. protocol and of the Mesh Potato project. Image is
|
|||
|
|
licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0 and created by Andrea Behrendt.
|
|||
|
|
</figcaption>
|
|||
|
|
</figure>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<h2 id="the-most-energy-efficient-pdf-reader-is-free-software-congrats-okular-">The most energy-efficient PDF reader is Free Software. Congrats, Okular!</h2>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
To be exact, Okular is a universal document viewer. This means you
|
|||
|
|
are not only able to read PDFs, comics, and EPub books, but also
|
|||
|
|
you can browse your image files, visualize Markdown documents, and
|
|||
|
|
much more. In February 2022, Okular was awarded the Blue Angel
|
|||
|
|
ecolabel, the official environmental label awarded by the German
|
|||
|
|
government. In 1978, the German Environment Agency was the first to
|
|||
|
|
establish an environmental label; this year the label's scope
|
|||
|
|
was extended to include software products, making Okular the first
|
|||
|
|
️ever eco-certified computer program.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
In order to receive the Blue Angel ecolabel, a program needs to
|
|||
|
|
meet many requirements, including transparency, backwards
|
|||
|
|
compatibility, and the ability to run the application on hardware
|
|||
|
|
at least five years old. Free Software usually excels in these
|
|||
|
|
conditions. The FSFE <a href="/news/2022/news-20220316-01.html">congratulates
|
|||
|
|
Okular and all of the KDE community</a>!
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<figure>
|
|||
|
|
<a href="/news/2022/news-20220316-01.html"><img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/medium/bb97d5abf32d0f8f5c38ca7e190c4030.png" alt="Screenshot of comics opened with Okular" /></a>
|
|||
|
|
<figcaption>
|
|||
|
|
Screenshot from KDE's Okular, Illustrations from David Revoy CC-BY-SA-4.0
|
|||
|
|
</figcaption>
|
|||
|
|
</figure>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<h2 id="save-the-date-">Save the date!</h2>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<ul>
|
|||
|
|
<li>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
Thursday 14 April is the day of three FSFE local group meetings.
|
|||
|
|
At 18:00-21:00 <a href="https://wiki.fsfe.org/Events/Zurich/2022-04-14">Zurich will
|
|||
|
|
have its regular in-person monthly meeting</a>. Anyone interested
|
|||
|
|
in Free Software and wanting to stand up for the ideals of Free
|
|||
|
|
Software can join. The group will discuss ways to reach out to
|
|||
|
|
new people and the upcoming Open Education Day. <a href="https://wiki.fsfe.org/LocalGroups/Hamburg">Hamburg is
|
|||
|
|
having its regular in-person monthly meeting</a> too. Please join
|
|||
|
|
the group's mailing list for more information. <a href="https://wiki.fsfe.org/LocalGroups/Berlin">Berlin</a> has
|
|||
|
|
its regular online monthly meeting. Subscribe to the <a href="https://lists.fsfe.org/mailman/listinfo/berlin">mailing
|
|||
|
|
list</a> or follow the group's <a href="https://libranet.de/profile/fsfeberlin">Mastodon page</a>
|
|||
|
|
to stay tuned.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
</li>
|
|||
|
|
<li>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
On Wednesday 20 April, <a href="https://wiki.fsfe.org/LocalGroups/BNL">the FSFE country
|
|||
|
|
team Netherlands</a> will have its regular online monthly
|
|||
|
|
meeting.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
</li>
|
|||
|
|
<li>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
Date TBA. The FSFE local group Aarhus, Denmark has delayed its
|
|||
|
|
first meeting. If you are interested, now is a great time to
|
|||
|
|
contact Carsten Agger (agger [at] fsfe [dot] org).
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
</li>
|
|||
|
|
</ul>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<h2 id="what-we-have-done">What we have done</h2>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<ul>
|
|||
|
|
<li>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
On 30 March, Erik Albers, FSFE Programme Manager and
|
|||
|
|
sustainability expert, showcased in the Digital Social Summit
|
|||
|
|
that software design and Free Software licencing impacts the
|
|||
|
|
sustainability of hardware and infrastructure.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
</li>
|
|||
|
|
<li>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
On 24 March, <a href="https://libranet.de/display/0b6b25a8-2162-39a4-b089-4a2078010682">the
|
|||
|
|
FSFE local group Berlin brainstormed with Jessica Wawrzyniak from
|
|||
|
|
Digital Courage how a whitelist of suitable Free Software for
|
|||
|
|
Education could work</a>, and how the German administration could
|
|||
|
|
compile such a list.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
</li>
|
|||
|
|
<li>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
On 20 Match, the FSFE Women group met online to discuss past and
|
|||
|
|
future events.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
</li>
|
|||
|
|
<li>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
On 19 March, the participants of the Upcycling Android workshop
|
|||
|
|
flashed phones in Berlin.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
</li>
|
|||
|
|
<li>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
On 16 March, <a href="https://wiki.fsfe.org/Events/Netherlands/2022-03-16">the
|
|||
|
|
FSFE Country team Netherlands had its monthly online meeting</a>.
|
|||
|
|
The team discussed the new telecommunications law in Belgium, and
|
|||
|
|
the potential actions to secure Router Freedom. The volunteers
|
|||
|
|
have already contacted Neutrinet. The government's open
|
|||
|
|
source strategy was also an important topic, as well as the
|
|||
|
|
increased dependency on DigID, the Dutch digital identity app. On
|
|||
|
|
19 March the team met in person in the Netherlands Linux Users
|
|||
|
|
meeting.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
</li>
|
|||
|
|
<li>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
On 15 March, Erik Albers participated in 'Sustainable
|
|||
|
|
software for phones that last', a webinar organised by
|
|||
|
|
Fairphone. <a href="https://media.fsfe.org/w/4WvPgN79fuex3eaSR378yH">A panel of
|
|||
|
|
experts</a> discussed why the longevity of phones continues to
|
|||
|
|
decline. Within the panel, Erik took a stand on how the universal
|
|||
|
|
right to install Free Software operating systems on any device
|
|||
|
|
will help us to live in a more sustainable digital society.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
</li>
|
|||
|
|
<li>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
On 12 March, Matthias Kirschner, author of Ada & Zangemann,
|
|||
|
|
read the book during Chemnitzer Linux-Tage. A video from an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bHLxFqTnRo">author
|
|||
|
|
reading</a> during Wintercongress is now available.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
</li>
|
|||
|
|
<li>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
On 10 March, <a href="https://libranet.de/display/0b6b25a8-1262-279c-0282-3d4767329405">the
|
|||
|
|
FSFE local group Berlin had its monthly meeting</a>. The
|
|||
|
|
participants discussed matters of financing and security related
|
|||
|
|
to Free Software. The group discussed the recent plans of Mozilla
|
|||
|
|
to create privacy-friendly advertising.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
</li>
|
|||
|
|
<li>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
On 10 March, <a href="https://wiki.fsfe.org/Events/Zurich/2022-03-10">the FSFE
|
|||
|
|
local group Zurich discussed ways to reach out to new people, and
|
|||
|
|
explored possible actions such as workshops and information
|
|||
|
|
events</a>.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
</li>
|
|||
|
|
<li>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
On 9 March, the <a href="https://wiki.fsfe.org/LocalGroups/Hamburg">FSFE local group
|
|||
|
|
Hamburg had its monthly meeting</a>.</p>
|
|||
|
|
</li>
|
|||
|
|
</ul>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<h2 id="contribute-to-our-newsletter">Contribute to our newsletter</h2>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
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 <a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate?referrer=newsletter">monthly
|
|||
|
|
contribution</a>. 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.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<p>Your editor, Fani Partsafyllidou</p>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</body>
|
|||
|
|
<sidebar promo="about-fsfe" />
|
|||
|
|
<date>
|
|||
|
|
<original content="2022-05-04" />
|
|||
|
|
</date>
|
|||
|
|
<followup>donate</followup>
|
|||
|
|
<tags>
|
|||
|
|
<tag key="front-page"/>
|
|||
|
|
<tag key="newsletter">Newsletter</tag>
|
|||
|
|
<tag key="AI">AI</tag>
|
|||
|
|
<tag key="european-parliament">European Parliament</tag>
|
|||
|
|
<tag key="open-letter">Open letter</tag>
|
|||
|
|
<tag key="de">Germany</tag>
|
|||
|
|
<tag key="upcyclingandroid">Upcycling Android</tag>
|
|||
|
|
<tag key="interview">Interview</tag>
|
|||
|
|
<tag key="podcast">Software Freedom Podcast</tag>
|
|||
|
|
<tag key="local group">Local group</tag>
|
|||
|
|
</tags>
|
|||
|
|
<discussion href="https://community.fsfe.org/t/825"/>
|
|||
|
|
<image url="" />
|
|||
|
|
</html>
|