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<html newsdate="2016-04-11">
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<version>1</version>
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<head>
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<title>Joint Statement on the Radio Lockdown Directive</title>
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</head>
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<body>
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<h1>Joint Statement on the Radio Lockdown Directive</h1>
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<p>23 organisations including the Free Software Foundation
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Europe (FSFE) <a href="/activities/radiodirective/statement.html">joined up in
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proposing measures</a> to EU institutions and EU member states to avoid
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negative implications on users' rights and Free Software imposed by the EU
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Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU.</p>
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<p>The ‘<a href="/activities/radiodirective/radiodirective.html">Radio Lockdown
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Directive</a>’ that will be applicable in the EU since 13 June 2016 threatens
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software freedom, users' rights, fair competition, innovation, environment, and
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volunteering – without comparable benefits for security. It introduces
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disproportionate ‘essential requirement’ in the form of forcing device
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manufacturers to prove radio regulatory compliance for every possible software
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able to run on every product using the radio frequency spectrum. In practice,
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this means that in the future only particular software authorised by the
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manufacturers can be installed on any device connecting through wireless and
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mobile networks or GPS: e.g. routers, mobile phones, WiFi cards and the laptops
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they are built in, or almost all devices including network functionality.</p>
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<p>This requirement will lock users to hardware manufacturers, and will also
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disadvantage businesses based on Free Software or any other alternative
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software not installed by default by the manufacturer of the device. Thereby it
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will have negative implications on fair competition and freedom to conduct
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business. The requirement to assess every possible hardware and software
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combination to be compliant with the RED – which is envisaged to enhance
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security of radio devices – disables users and businesses to choose
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software whose security problems can be fixed by everybody without having to
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relay on the vendor.</p>
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<p>The FSFE and the other signatories, therefore, ask the EU institutions and
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the EU member states to safeguard rights of users and businesses to use and
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install Free Software and any other alternative third-party software on their
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devices; to avoid the lockdown of the devices to the software provided by the
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hardware manufacturer; and refrain from shifting the responsibility for the
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software's regulatory compliance from the users to the manufacturers when
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making changes to the default configuration. Software and hardware should not
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be treated differently in that respect. The EU Commission has been entitled to
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adopt delegated acts which can make these vitally needed adjustments.</p>
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<p>The joint statement on the Radio Lockdown Directive is <a href="/activities/radiodirective/statement.en.html#sig">open to more
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signatures</a>. Whether a user, a charity project, or a business, the Radio
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Lockdown Directive affects everyone. We ask other organisations and companies
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to support our statement and make sure that the Radio Lockdown Directive will
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not place blanket, unnecessary and disproportionate restrictions on the rights
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of consumers and businesses when implementing the Directive into national
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legislations.</p>
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<p>Please also read <a
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href="/activities/radiodirective/radiodirective.html">our detailed
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analysis</a>, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions.</p>
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</body>
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<tags>
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<tag key="front-page"/>
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<tag key="radiodirective">Radio Lockdown Directive</tag>
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<tag key="policy">Policy</tag>
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<tag key="competition">Competition</tag>
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<tag key="europeanparliament">European Parliament</tag>
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<tag key="europeancommission">European Commission</tag>
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</tags>
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</html>
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