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It worked, and it continues to Contents work. Last year, member dues ac- Fifteen years of FSF associate counted for over half of our total members...... 1 revenue, and nearly ten times as Finding a free silver lining much as we received from corpora- tions. But membership from the to the Facebook Cambridge start has been much more than a Analytica scandal ...... 3 way to donate. Members form a Tech updates, episode 2018: proud community united around A GNUHope...... 4 the idea that people, in order to be The threat of government-run Digital free, must be in control of the soft- ware they rely on to live their lives. Restrictions Management ...... 6 Today, we have members in Uber takes software users for a ride over eighty countries. I feel very ...... 8 close to this community—especially On the road with RMS...... 9 to the 136 members who have been GNU needs you: How to contribute with us all fifteen years. I've gotten to a GNU project...... 10 to know their names through stuff- ing thousands of envelopes, ex- Fifteen years of FSF changing many emails, and shaking associate members hands—first at the annual member meetings we held, at the Libre-

ast fall marked fifteen years of Lthe FSF's associate membership program. Shortly after, I celebrated my own fifteenth anniversary with the FSF. I've never known an FSF without associate members. The membership program was launched in late 2002 to stabilize the FSF fin- ancially, as some previous sources of support—like sales of software and In March, the FSF celebrated our tenth manuals on physical media—were annual LibrePlanet conference, with over falling out of fashion. 300 participants. 1 Planet conferences they grew into, many news and news-sharing plat- and at many other events around forms require nonfree software. the world. We need your help. If you're Members drive the success of not yet a member, please become our campaigns for universal free one. If you are, help recruit others. software adoption and ideological When you log into your account at support for user freedom. They are you'll find a mem- the early adopters of decentralized, bership badge you can use on social federated social networks, and the media profiles or your Web site. dedicated users of Replicant, the Let your friends and coworkers free version of Android. They ad- know why you support user free- vocate in their local schools and dom and ask them to join you. places of work. They write much of We have a comprehensive list the that makes the of benefits at modern world operate. I'm incred- ; the instant mes- ibly proud to know these folks, and saging service we provide is notable to work side by side with them. for people who are tired of their But increasingly, members are communications being surveilled joining us who are not long-time and manipulated by Facebook. free software users or developers. We're also expanding resources to They include folks who don't have help members meet and collabor- the technical know-how to be early ate. We're relaunching the FSF adopters. They see the havoc Associate Membership Forum at wreaked on people's lives by the , likes of Microsoft, Apple, and and putting on more events for Facebook, and they want someone members alongside conferences to do something about it. These around the world. members are just as important. This year, we received a $1 mil- They are key to this movement's lion Bitcoin donation from the Pine- success at turning free software in- apple Fund. That will give our work to a kitchen table issue. a powerful shot in the arm. But it If the movement is to succeed, was associate members who drove we're going to need many more the technological and activist work than 4,600 members. But we are that attracted the donation. There finding it increasingly difficult to would be no FSF without them. We break through the daily tidal wave need you now more than ever. While of technology news to reach the we've done very well as small but audiences we need to reach. In mighty," I hope that fifteen years 2002, getting on guaran- from now, we'll be counting our teed a flood of attention. That is members in the millions. no longer true, as so many more news sources and newsmakers com- pete for attention. It is particularly challenging for the FSF, because so 2 Finding a free software silver lining to the Facebook Cambridge Analytica scandal

n 2018, the political data firm ICambridge Analytica was ex- tributed, user-controlled, free soft- posed for exploiting social media ware to our friends, family, and site Facebook's lax data policies to community. gather information on millions of Here are some Facebook-related people for Donald Trump's presid- discussion points. Try them out on ential campaign. Their micro-- someone who is considering leaving geted messages, based on that the site or making the switch to free cache of online activity, aimed to software (visit for win votes for Trump—and Face- libre social media alternatives like book did not tell users their in- Mastodon, GNU social, and Dia- formation was used. spora). This latest violation by the site didn't surprise free software activ- ists, but others were stunned that . the data gathered by privacy-un- Using Facebook, or any Service as friendly sites like Facebook (which a Software Substitute or nonfree force you to relinquish control over software, practically guarantees your computing to someone else's your privacy will be violated (see server—see —and ). Facebook impose nonfree JavaScript for the claims to provide a personalized parts that do run on your local experience," but its terms of service system) might be used to influence (at ) say this is elections. based on the data it gathers about We have long been aware that you, including what you share and nonfree software harms people, and do on and off our Products." Face- that companies like Facebook are book admits it is gathering as deliberately tracking as much of much information as possible about your Web activity as possible, be- you, always. cause, whether they're selling shoes or a political candidate, advertisers Some people say they aren't con- will pay for it. But a silver lining cerned about privacy, because they can be salvaged from these highly have nothing to hide. Talk to them publicized violations of (unwarran- about Cambridge Analytica influ- ted) trust by proprietary peddlers: encing political votes via micro- we get to tout the benefits of dis- targeting—no matter your politics, 3 the fact that one's personal inform- amount of personal data. Using dis- ation could be used for political tributed, free software puts control propaganda is pretty creepy. back in the hands of the user: you can self-host a personal or social Web This sort site, or use the same software by of corporate surveillance is tied to choosing from among many smaller mass government surveillance. As hosts, which you may feel are more revealed in 2013, the US National trustworthy. Security Agency's PRISM program has gathered massive amounts of (There's still a risk of privacy viol- information, including emails, ation with decentralized free soft- search history, and chats from ware, which is why government Facebook, Google, Apple, and oth- regulation prohibiting those viola- ers since 2007 (see tions is important: read more about If you do any political organizing in decentralized and federated soft- private" Facebook groups, or just ware on the FSF High Priority RSVP to a protest via a Facebook Projects list at .) event, governments know about it. If you don't think you're at risk in The your own country, you could be gets stronger as it grows. The libre targeted if you travel to another silver lining to dastardly behavior country where beliefs you've ex- like Cambridge Analytica's use of pressed on Facebook are unaccept- Facebook user information is that able or illegal. it gives you the opportunity to in- troduce people to privacy-respect- Finally, ing, decentralized free software. there are many reasons for using Help everyone #DeleteFacebook free, distributed software instead. and get free! With free software, the code can be examined by anybody—if I don't Tech updates, episode 2018: have the technical knowledge to analyze how code behaves, I can A GNUHope read independent analyses by people who can. I do not have to go in blind, forced to trust that software is not acting with ill intent. Over the last six months, the Sites like Facebook take control away FSF tech team has been busy with from the user, because the software system upgrades. We migrated ser- you are running is not on your own vices to our new Ceph-based server . They also consolidate con- stack, which we are calling trol and surveillance—nearly 2 billion GNUHope," and added more code people use Facebook, which means to our Ansible configurations to in- the site has gathered a truly massive crease automation.

4 In January, we upgraded our to be a very positive step overall. A CiviCRM instance to the latest recent survey says that 15% of busi- version, and fixed issues with our nesses said they think they will be custom code. With the help of a GDPR compliant by the May 25, previous intern and many 2018 enforcement date (see volunteers, we successfully ). Based on our streamed and recorded video at our experience, many widely used free annual LibrePlanet conference, software projects still have a lot of uploading the recordings to our room for improving documentation GNU MediaGoblin instance (see and functionality to enable their ). We users to more easily comply with also recently hit a record low in the GDPR, and we look forward to tech team's task queue: 150 tickets, helping as we make sure our own down from 280 in October, after house is in order. resolving over a thousand new tickets. The infrastructure that runs our office also got some love. Over One project we are the last year, we have been keen to finish in this category is consolidating the multiple services the improvement of our mail serv- we use for our office work into a ers, which will be transferred into more compact stack, getting us GNUHope. closer to our goal of having a single large server running all our local systems. Getting to that goal would continue to simplify maintenance and lower power usage, noise levels, and heat. The We are preparing a new set new machine ( Hal") runs on a of machines to host build farms, Respects Your Freedom (RYF) continuous integration systems, certified platform, so it will never and other heavy-duty tasks. This tell us, I'm afraid I can't do that." serves the dual purpose of increas- (For more information on RYF ing our ability to support projects certification, see .) that develop fully free software, As we completed major tasks, while separating their hardware we took some time to prioritize and from our mission-critical systems. plan for upcoming projects. As we write this, here are the projects at the top of the list: This is a very large project; our first step here is to select and implement a new associate member The proper handling of discussion forum. In recent years, personal data is extremely import- there has been a proliferation of ant for us, and this regulation seems exciting new forum-like software, 5 and we hope that a new one will our lives and interactions are in- help build a stronger and more creasingly implemented in software, active member community. whoever has control over that soft- ware has control over us. If we We do all this hard work to control our own computing, we continue sustaining and advancing have freedom; if someone else con- the free software community, the trols our computing, we are under GNU Project, the FSF, and our their dominion. And if that members. Our infrastructure im- someone else is our own govern- provements will directly benefit ment, the threat to our freedom is thousands of developers, and indir- especially dire, as they have a far ectly, millions of downstream greater power to restrict or elimin- GNU/ users. It could not ate our rights. have been done without your gen- That is why free software is so erous contributions, so we thank critical, and why Digital Restric- you, and we hope you will continue tions Management (DRM) is so with your very needed support. If dangerous. With DRM, the keys to you are interested in volunteering the castle" belong to whomever im- your sysadmin skills to help with plements the DRM—historically, projects like these, please contact media distribution companies trying us at . to block copying. These digital handcuffs" allow anyone who im- plements them to restrict what you can do with your software or devices. Companies initially claim- The threat of government- ing they needed DRM to prevent unauthorized copying have abused run Digital Restrictions it even further, using it to block Management text-to-speech readers, to restrict even works, to pre- vent fast-forwarding through com- mercials, and so on. DRM's true n 's book purpose is control, and now govern- I ( ,hements are realizing just how power- warns of a world in which control ful this kind of control can be. is not manifested via laws and reg- Various agencies want to con- ulations alone, but by the ability to trol users via DRM in order to im- change the very nature of reality. plement the laws and regulations When we use software, what is they are tasked with enforcing. The possible or impossible to do is dic- US Environmental Protection tated by the underlying code. So Agency wanted DRM to remain on whoever writes the code, or has the cars, so that users couldn't avoid power to change it, has the power emissions controls—despite the fact to control the users running it. As that Volkswagen vehicles came 6 with a program, unmodifiable by onto this, just as they have already users, that subverted emission con- started to enforce their laws and trols. The US Food and Drug Ad- regulations via DRM. As long as ministration also wants DRM on governments can get companies to 3D printers, so that users can't implement DRM with particular print medical devices that don't restrictions, and impose legal pen- conform to their regulations. The alties for avoiding those restrictions National Association of Secretaries via laws like the Digital Millennium of State also signed on to a state- Act, they can exert con- ment promoting DRM on electronic trol without having to go through voting machines, worried that the normal legal channels for cre- without DRM, people could tamper ating laws and regulations. with election results. (See The rule of law requires that to learn more.) people have fair warning of the In each example, an agent of laws they are subject to, and that the government realized they could they have a mechanism to appeal enforce their rules without having the execution of those laws. With to do their job. The power of DRM DRM, there is no public record of to control is so great that they the rules enacted and no courts to supposed they could enforce their challenge their application. With regulations just by not allowing DRM, the rules begin and end in users to avoid DRM, and they the device or software itself, and didn't care about the collateral whoever has control over the code damage to user freedom. has dictatorial power over the But why stop there? At some users. Democracy cannot function point, these agencies will realize when such supreme control is that they don't have to implement possible, so we must fight to ensure a law or regulation in the first that users always retain control place. By dictating what people can over their own computing. That is or cannot do via DRM, on propri- why we fight DRM through our etary software which no one can campaign at review, they can implement an un- , and checked form of control with no why we need you to join us. possibility of appeal. Companies already use this power to wring additional profits and personal data from users. After all, why bother putting a term into an end-user li- cense agreement or terms of ser- vice, which could theoretically be challenged in arbitration or the courts, when you can simply dic- tate what the user can do via soft- ware? And governments will catch 7 Uber takes software users things like battery level: they were for a ride able to determine that those with a low battery tend to accept the surge price because they need a ride home that minute" (see ). While Uber ber has a long history of abus- denies that they actually use bat- Uing its users. The company is tery life to affect surge pricing, the known for its ride sharing app, company has been known to lie to which connects drivers with riders, users about safety, security, and similar to a taxi service. The sur- monitoring (see ). veillance abilities of the app are Uber's surveillance capabilities astounding. should never have been so panoptic By using God View," employees in the first place—a situation that of Uber were able to view the activ- could have been prevented if the ity and details of cars and passengers app was free software. When soft- (see ). They ware is free, security researchers would use the app to follow celebrit- and those looking to enhance and ies, ex-boyfriends, ex-girlfriends, and personalize the software can identi- ex-spouses" (see ). fy fundamental issues with safety In 2017, the company had an always- and security. The app's behavior on tracking anti-feature, which would on mobile devices can be changed continually monitor the location of directly or by using patches and users—even when the app was off add-ons—like those used in a Web (see ). browser. When using the app, riders By giving users control, they provide exact pickup and drop off can limit the data being shared by addresses to drivers. Uber currently the app. While you would not be retains this information in the able to control the company's serv- driver's account history. Rather than ers, you would be able to control it being available for only the dura- how your phone interacts with tion of the ride, drivers have been them. By having the right to given continued access to the homes, modify the code, the abusive parts destinations, and travel patterns of of the app could be removed. Re- users. This access has led to numer- distributing modifications would ous cases of assault and stalking by provide these same benefits to oth- drivers (see ). It er users. Free software can address was only in April 2018 that Uber an- the client side of the problem; then nounced a plan to pilot a program policy or public pressure can be that would obscure exact locations in brought to bear on how Uber uses driver history (see ). the data on their servers. The ability of Uber to abuse Anyone using a proprietary users does not end with location third party app should be aware of data. The company can monitor what they are giving up when they 8 allow a company access to their to an audience of software mobile devices: safety, security, and developers and state-government freedom. However, it should not be IT staff for Child Welfare Digital necessary to give up so much just Services, a project aiming to to use mobile services. Apps need change the way state government to be free, and licensing is just the develops software by leveraging first step. They need to be avail- free (libre) software, agile able on F-Droid—the freedom re- methodologies, and user-centered specting app marketplace at design." —and compatible Next, he headed to Santiago de with free operating systems. It is Compostela, Spain, where he spoke only through such comprehensive about freedom in software and in change that users can be free in object design at Maker Faire their mobile devices. Galicia, a software-, hardware-, and free-community-centered festival for inventors. Then, at the University of Innsbruck, in Austria, On the road with RMS he participated in a panel and in a lecture series on Challenges to learning and education in the media age." He talked about education, software freedom, and ree Software Foundation pres- privacy, and about learning bots ident 's com- F and users' freedom, outlining the mitment to getting the word out on threats and challenges we face, and the importance of free software has what schools have to do to help. been as steadfast as ever over the RMS resumed his travels in past six months. In spite of a quiet February, speaking in London and December and January, he still Leicester, in the United Kingdom, managed to take part in 26 events. and in Oviedo, Spain. Next, he He participated in 2 panels and spoke in Rennes, France, at gave 24 speeches, 16 of them at inOut2018, a conference to debate, conferences, with 6 of the speeches invent, test, and decipher the being keynote speeches. One of his transportation modes of speeches was in French, and the tomorrow," where he gave his rest were about equally divided speech The right to anonymous between Spanish and English. All transportation." He also took part told, his speeches were heard by in the CampOSV hackathon at about 6,500 to 7,500 people, in 23 inOut2018, geared toward creating cities, in 6 countries. prototypes of free-software-run In the fall, RMS spoke at vehicles, and gave his speech several events in Mexico, and then Privacy by design." returned to the US for a visit to March brought RMS back to California. In Sacramento, he spoke for LibrePlanet 2018, our 9 annual software freedom us any photographs you would like conference, where, as is custom, he us to share on his blog, at delivered a keynote speech and ,or presented the Free Software recordings of his speeches for our Awards. He then returned to audio-video archive at Mexico for a few more events and . talks, before heading to Burlington, Vermont, for Champlain College's Capstone Presentations, a GNU needs you: conference in which senior students How to contribute to a [from Information Technology & Services] present the results of their GNU project capstone projects (year-long culminating experience projects within their majors)." He delivered his speech Computing, freedom and privacy" for an audience that he GNU Project, announced included members of the Tby FSF founder and president community at large, as well as Richard Stallman in 1983, began students from & with the goal to enable users to do Innovation, Game Programming, all of their computing with 100% Computer & Digital Forensics, free software. While we now have a Data Analytics, and Computer fully functioning GNU operating Networking & Cybersecurity, who system, there are countless im- would all have had to read RMS's provements to be made, new pro- book in grams to be designed, more one of their compulsory classes (!). platforms to be supported, and See for a list of other tasks to keep GNU running RMS's confirmed upcoming and spread the word. That's why engagements. Please write to GNU needs YOU! The full list of to extend him a ways to help GNU is at speaking invitation. Please also send , but hopefully this summary will get you started thinking where you might fit in. If you already have written use- ful software that you would like to submit as a GNU package, there's a submission process in place at . If you're willing to adhere to the GNU Project's mission for software freedom, you can join 404 other GNU supporters as a GNU main- tainer. 10 If you're looking for a new pro- ject, the most urgent items are on the FSF's High Priority Projects page, handpicked by a committee of free software experts informed by feedback from the public as the projects of greatest strategic im- portance ( ). Not all of these projects are part of GNU—for example, the Replicant free phone needs supporters to contribute on their Contributing to , forums and wiki, and to submit a repository that contains inform- bugs. But many are, like user-test- ation on how particular hardware ing for or contributing to the does or doesn't work with free replacement GNU Ring. Choose the software; project that best fits your interests Volunteering as a technical and expertise, and get started! system administrator for Savan- Another crucial subsection of the nah, which hosts free software GNU Project that could use your projects; help is accessibility. Like all com- Volunteering as a GNU Web- puter users, people with a range of master; and more. hearing, sight, movement, and cog- nitive abilities deserve control over their technology, but few programs If you're not a techie, we can and Web sites comply with accessib- still use your help! We are con- ility standards. Furthermore, propri- stantly in need of translators for the etary programs keep everyone from GNU Web site—if you're fluent in altering them to suit their needs, English and another language, email and companies only add accessibility to features when there's a business get started on a translation team. reason for doing so, leaving many You can also simply spread users behind. Learn more at awareness: subscribe to the monthly . at Technologically adept GNU , spread the word far fans can contribute in many other and wide, and use as much free ways, including: software as you can every day. GNU's thirty-plus years of suc- cess have been driven by individu- Writing free manuals and docu- als joining together to make a mentation for GNU software; difference. We hope you'll join us! Taking over an unmaintained GNU package;

11 Become an associate member of the FSF. Members will receive a bootable USB card, email forwarding, a 20% discount on FSF merchandise, and an Donate to the FSF with Bitcoin account on the FSF's Jabber/XMPP server. To sign up or get more information, visit or write to Copyright 2018 . Free Software Foundation, Inc. Use your credit card or The articles in this are PayPal account to make a individually licensed under the Attribution No donation at Derivative Works 4.0. or contact for more information on supporting the FSF.

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