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US cuts funding to F-Droid, Tor Browser, Let's Encrypt and Tails Linux (videos.abnormalbeings.space)

submitted 2 months ago by AbnormalHumanBeing@lemmy.abnormalbeings.space to c/opensource@lemmy.ml

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.abnormalbeings.space/post/952648

TEXT VERSION: https://thelibre.news/trump-cuts-funding-to-foss-projects/

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[-] RvTV95XBeo@sh.itjust.works 35 points 2 months ago

If US uses FOSS software in its operations (it does, everyone does) it has a vested interest in keeping these projects alive.

Also many of the sponsored projects help people circumvent authoritarian government overreach, which is something that until recently has been considered "good" for the US. The more freely information can flow the harder it is for authoritarian regimes to exert control.

[-] Zerush@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 months ago

FOSS is already stale for a long time by large corporations (Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, X, etc), all of these with own developments of FOSS, these are not affected by this cuts for OpenSource proyects, but small startups, individual devs and small companies and oprganisations. It's not against FOSS, it's about control and clear against freedom.

Fuck the US https://interoperable-europe.ec.europa.eu/eu-oss-catalogue

[-] turnip@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

Do they use for browser for something?

[-] RvTV95XBeo@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 months ago

Use it? The US invented it. The US has historically funded it as part of their human rights initiatives. Like I said:

Also many of the sponsored projects help people circumvent authoritarian government overreach, which is something that until recently has been considered "good" for the US. The more freely information can flow the harder it is for authoritarian regimes to exert control.

Given the nature of the Tor network, it's likely any "official" use within the US government would probably involve things like communicating with people working undercover / informants, etc., and not be something broadly discussed.