Free software is critical infrastructure, yet its upkeep falls on volunteers while giants like Microsoft or Google profit. As with other public goods, they should fund it via a dedicated tax feeding (like roads) a European fund (EU-STF) to ensure security and digital sovereignty. Europeans shouldn’t pay so Amazon can remain a free rider.

#OpenSource#TaxTheTechGiants#DigitalCommons#EUSTF#PublicGoods#FLOSS #CyberResilience #linux #kde #fsfe #gnome#FOSS#EU

I've heard it from Compliance Industrial Complex folks many times. There are so many ppl seeking to monetize SBOMs; they were entrenched before CRA & hired lobbyists to confuse Brusselcrats into think SBOMs were the ultimate panacea.

It's a mess, but I have hope that
@lexelas can save us! Alex gets these issues & @fsfe is trying to undo the damage as part of the CRA regs (still being written). Europeans should volunteer to help #FSFE on this.

Cc: @bwh @bagder @reproducible_builds

Looking for efforts in the US e.g. to draft policies prohibiting the use or promotion of proprietary software for public infrastructure like education, similar to the FSFE's "Public Money? Public Code!" campaign. If you know of anything like this in the US, please share!

#FOSS #education#USpol#FSFE