Stand for a Free Society

There is much more to software than being trustworthy (being “Open-Source”): what really counts is the freedoms you get over it. Can you learn from it? Can you build upon it? Can you distribute it? That’s what we refer to as “free software”.

Not a crazy concept

It sounds peculiar to many users that software should be free as in freedom, since none of Microsoft’s or Apple’s products are. Yet our society works with many free things in it, for example:

No chef would ever forbid you to modify his recipe and make derivatives out of it. The food industry thrives despite being required by law to list ingredients on product labels.
A fair law court system permits anyone to read through all the trial hearings and arguments. Not only the result (the final deliberations), but also the process is fully open.

Free software is free as in “free speech”, as in a “free market”: all are necessary for a free society. Unconvinced? Let us look at how modern proprietary operating systems work.

Proprietary software going wrong

The problems with proprietary software have evolved. It’s no longer just about secret source code; it’s about a fundamental shift in who controls your computer. This happens through three main areas:

1. The illusion of ownership

In the past, the hardware (your PC) and the software (your OS) were separate. Today, they are fused together to enforce the manufacturer’s rules. This is the modern realization of “Trusted Computing”¹.

This shift began with technologies like Secure Boot, which ensures the computer only loads a Microsoft-approved operating system. While a compromise was reached that allowed users to disable it or install other keys, it set a dangerous precedent.

On Apple devices, the M-series chips and their Secure Enclave create a system where Apple has the final say on what software can run. It makes unauthorized repairs difficult and gives Apple absolute, hardware-enforced control.
On Windows machines, technologies like the TPM chip and Microsoft’s Pluton processor build a “root of trust” that is loyal to Microsoft, not to you.

It’s like buying a house, but the builder keeps the only master key and can change your locks at will.

The hardware now dictates what the software is allowed to do.

The critical thing is that you cannot decide what is trustworthy. Your computer might refuse to run an alternative operating system, block software from an unapproved developer, or prevent a repair shop from replacing a component. The control is no longer yours.

2. The walled garden

Software used to be an open field. You could acquire and run programs from anywhere. Now, vendors are building walls around you, creating curated “App Stores” that benefit them.

The Mac App Store and Microsoft Store act as central gatekeepers. They decide what software is allowed, enforce their own rules, and take a 15-30% cut from developers.
On macOS, software from outside the App Store must be “notarized” by Apple. This is a security check, but it’s also a kill switch: Apple can remotely revoke a developer’s certificate, disabling their software on every Mac in the world.

The vendor becomes the gatekeeper of all software.

Imagine a world where bookstores are replaced by a single, manufacturer-owned shop. This shop decides which books get published, can remove books from your shelf after you’ve bought them, and takes a large cut from every author. That is the reality of modern application ecosystems.

3. You are the product, not the customer

You no longer buy a finished product. You subscribe to a service that is constantly changing to serve the vendor’s interests, not yours.

Aggressive Telemetry: Windows 10 and 11 collect vast amounts of data about your usage and system configuration. Much of this data collection cannot be disabled. Your computer is constantly reporting back to Microsoft.
Forced Updates and Ads: Control over system updates has been taken away. Windows can now restart your machine and install changes you may not want. Worse, these updates are now used to push advertisements and unwanted software directly into the Start Menu, lock screen, and file explorer.

Your device works for the vendor, not for you.

This turns the user from a customer who owns a product into a data source and a target for advertising. Your operating system is no longer a neutral tool; it is an active participant in a business model where you are the product being sold.

The wider impact

Code is power. Most of today’s work documents are written and encoded with secret algorithms in proprietary software. What will be of tomorrow’s books, photos, films, essays, animations, music, news? Proprietary programs such as Windows have no transparency. A free culture and a free society cannot grow from such software.

We use computers to communicate, create, and learn. When that foundation is controlled by a handful of corporations whose business models depend on restricting you, it erodes your freedom and autonomy.

The shift is from ownership to tenancy. You are a guest on your own device, subject to the landlord’s rules.

Randall Munroe, xkcd: Content Protection

Software is used to enforce rules. Rules that may or may not be the law. Rules that may or may not be fair. If the software is not free there will be no space for the user to influence these rules. A free culture and a free society cannot be built on a foundation of digital tenancy.

May we suggest you switch to GNU/Linux?