Mastodon recently published a blog post, Europe's New Tech Strategy Puts Open Source Front and Centre, a decree that says Europe should care about open-source code:

The European Commission has just released a major strategy on technological sovereignty, and it’s placing open source software squarely in the spotlight. The message is clear: open source is key to true digital independence.

A recent article posted by Swedish state-owned SVT Nyheter says this (translated from Swedish by yours truly):

American tech giants claim their cloud services are securely encrypted.

But according to an internal report circulating among Swedish security agencies, this is a “false sense of security.”

In the background are US laws that can compel Google, Amazon, and Microsoft to hand over data.

American tech giants dominate the cloud services market. They themselves claim that US authorities cannot access their clouds—despite their headquarters being located in the USA.

[...]

However, this is a claim that the Swedish Armed Forces debunk in their new cloud strategy. They point out that American companies have a “far-reaching obligation to hand over information to US authorities” due to two US legislative packages: FISA and the Cloud Act. The strategy also establishes that the location of the provider's headquarters is “decisive” for which legislation applies.

An internal report circulating among security agencies, which SVT has reviewed, goes even further. It concludes that cloud providers, through their control over the infrastructure, in practice have the technical capability to access data in plaintext.

The Military Intelligence and Security Service (Must) confirms the concerns regarding US cloud services:

— It is clear that we must consider what the legislation implies. If it means a provider could be forced to shut down, access, or share information that belongs to us, then it is obviously concerning, says Must chief Thomas Nilsson.

I can't remember when I heard it, but I remember when Condoleezza Rice said if there's a way for U. S. companies to gain leverage over non-U. S. companies, the government will help out. Regardless if that's true or not, FISA and the Cloud Act should be enough.

France have developed their own meet software.

The German state Schleswig-Holstein has cut their ties with Microsoft:

• LibreOffice is replacing Microsoft Word and Excel
• Open-Xchange is taking over Outlook for email and calendars
• Plans are underway to replace Windows with the Linux operating system

Also, from the same article about Schleswig-Holstein:

Are other governments also ditching Microsoft tools?

Absolutely—and not just in Germany. This move from Schleswig-Holstein is part of a growing global trend:

• France’s gendarmerie (about 100,000 personnel) has been using Linux for years.
  
• India’s Defence Ministry introduced its own operating system, Maya OS, in 2023.
  
• Local governments in Copenhagen and Aarhus in Denmark are reportedly exploring similar options.
  
• The EU’s Interoperable Europe Act, passed last year, actively encourages open-source software use across public bodies.

Aah. Feels good to not be shackled. I've written about my own why-Linux-is-better-than-Windows thing.

#OpenSource #code #freedom #FOSS