Defending Software Freedom and Interoperability: Free Software’s role in fairer digital markets
Dario Presutti and Lucas Lasota
The Free Software Foundation Europe is fighting for device neutrality and software freedom against tech giants in Europe. This talk highlights how EU regulation, especially the Digital Markets Act, is opening new opportunities for Free Software developers. We'll explore FSFE’s advocacy, court actions, and coalition work to secure real interoperability and user control over mobile devices.
What happens when Free Software developers are blocked from accessing key APIs, documentation, or hardware features by dominant tech companies? This talk explores how the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is working to fix this imbalance through legal, political, and technical advocacy.
We'll examine the concept of device neutrality, the right to install and run any software on any device, and how it intersects with interoperability as a regulatory tool to promote fair digital markets. A central focus will be the Digital Markets Act (DMA), an EU law that forces gatekeepers like Apple and Google to allow better access for competing developers, including those developing Free Software.
The talk will share FSFE’s experience coordinating affected projects, from alternative app stores and emulators to payment systems, and its role in a court case against Apple at the European Union Court of Justice. We’ll also present the Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative, which funds Free Software as part of building a more open and inclusive Internet.