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<title>Measures Governments Can Use to Promote Free Software |
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- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title> |
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<h2>Measures Governments Can Use to Promote Free Software</h2> |
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<h3>And why it is their duty to do so</h3> |
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<p>by <a href="http://www.stallman.org/"><strong>Richard |
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Stallman</strong></a></p> |
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<p>This article suggests policies for a strong and firm effort to promote |
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free software within the state, and to lead the rest of the country |
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towards software freedom.</p> |
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<p>The mission of the state is to organize society for the freedom and |
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well-being of the people. One aspect of this mission, in the |
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computing field, is to encourage users to adopt free software: |
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<a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">software that respects the users' |
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freedom</a>. A proprietary (non-free) program tramples the freedom of |
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those that use it; it is a social problem that the state should work |
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to eradicate.</p> |
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<p>The state needs to insist on free software in its own computing for |
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the sake of its computational sovereignty (the state's control over |
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its own computing). All users deserve control over their computing, |
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but the state has a responsibility to the people to maintain control |
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over the computing it does on their behalf. Most government |
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activities now depend on computing, and its control over those |
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activities depends on its control over that computing. Losing this |
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control in an agency whose mission is critical undermines national |
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security.</p> |
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<p>Moving state agencies to free software can also provide secondary |
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benefits, such as saving money and encouraging local software support |
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businesses.</p> |
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<p>In this text, “state entities” refers to all levels of government, and |
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means public agencies including schools, public-private partnerships, |
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largely state-funded activities such as charter schools, and “private” |
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corporations controlled by the state or established with special |
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privileges or functions by the state.</p> |
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<h3>Education</h3> |
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<p>The most important policy concerns education, since that shapes |
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the future of the country:</p> |
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<ul> |
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<li><b>Teach only free software</b><br /> |
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Educational activities, or at least those of state entities, must |
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teach only free software (thus, they should never lead students to use |
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a nonfree program), and should teach the civic reasons for insisting |
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on free software. To teach a nonfree program is to teach dependence, |
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which is contrary to the mission of the school.</li> |
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</ul> |
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<h3>The State and the Public</h3> |
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<p>Also crucial are state policies that influence what software |
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individuals and organizations use:</p> |
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<ul> |
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<li><p><b>Never require nonfree programs</b><br /> |
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Laws and public sector practices must be changed so that they never |
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require or pressure individuals or organizations to use a nonfree |
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program. They should also discourage communication and publication |
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practices that imply such consequences (including |
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<a href="http://www.defectivebydesign.org/what_is_drm">Digital |
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Restrictions Management</a>).</p></li> |
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<li><p><b>Distribute only free software</b><br /> |
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Whenever a state entity distributes software to the public, |
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including programs included in or specified by its web pages, it must |
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be distributed as free software, and must be capable of running on a |
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platform containing exclusively free software.</p></li> |
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<li><p><b>State web sites</b><br /> |
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State entity web sites and network services must be designed so |
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that users can use them, without disadvantage, by means of free |
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software exclusively.</p></li> |
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<li><p><b>Free formats and protocols</b><br /> |
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State entities must use only file formats and communication |
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protocols that are well supported by free software, preferably with |
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published specifications. (We do not state this in terms of |
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“standards” because it should apply to nonstandardized interfaces as |
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well as standardized ones.) For example, they must not distribute |
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audio or video recordings in formats that require Flash or nonfree |
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codecs, and public libraries must not distribute works with Digital |
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Restrictions Management.</p> |
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<p>To support the policy of distributing publications and works in |
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freedom-respecting formats, the state must insist that all reports |
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developed for it be delivered in freedom-respecting formats.</p></li> |
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<li><p><b>Untie computers from licenses</b><br /> |
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Sale of computers must not require purchase of a proprietary |
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software license. The seller should be required by law to offer the |
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purchaser the option of buying the computer without the proprietary |
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software and without paying the license fee.</p> |
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<p>The imposed payment is a secondary wrong, and should not distract |
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us from the essential injustice of proprietary software, the loss of |
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freedom which results from using it. Nonetheless, the abuse of |
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forcing users to pay for it gives certain proprietary software |
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developers an additional unfair advantage, detrimental to users' |
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freedom. It is proper for the state to prevent this abuse.</p> |
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</li> |
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</ul> |
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<h3>Computational Sovereignty</h3> |
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<p>Several policies affect the computational sovereignty of the state. |
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State entities must maintain control over their computing, not cede |
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control to private hands. These points apply to all computers, |
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including smartphones.</p> |
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<ul> |
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<li><p><b>Migrate to free software</b><br /> |
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State entities must migrate to free software, and must not install, |
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or continue using, any nonfree software except under a temporary |
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exception. Only one agency should have the authority to grant these |
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temporary exceptions, and only when shown compelling reasons. This |
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agency's goal should be to reduce the number of exceptions to zero.</p></li> |
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<li><p><b>Develop free IT solutions</b><br /> |
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When a state entity pays for development of a computing solution, the |
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contract must require it be delivered as free software, and that it be |
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designed such that one can both run it and develop it on a 100%-free |
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environment. All contracts must require this, so that if the |
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developer does not comply with these requirements, the work cannot be |
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paid for.</p></li> |
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<li><p><b>Choose computers for free software</b><br /> |
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When a state entity buys or leases computers, it must choose among |
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the models that come closest, in their class, to being capable of |
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running without any proprietary software. The state should maintain, |
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for each class of computers, a list of the models authorized based on |
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this criterion. Models available to both the public and the state |
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should be preferred to models available only to the state.</p></li> |
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<li><p><b>Negotiate with manufacturers</b><br /> |
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The state should negotiate actively with manufacturers to bring |
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about the availability in the market (to the state and the public) of |
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suitable hardware products, in all pertinent product areas, that |
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require no proprietary software.</p></li> |
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<li><p><b>Unite with other states</b><br /> |
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The state should invite other states to negotiate collectively with |
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manufacturers about suitable hardware products. Together they will |
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have more clout.</p></li> |
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</ul> |
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<h3>Computational Sovereignty II</h3> |
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<p>The computational sovereignty (and security) of the state includes |
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control over the computers that do the state's work. This requires |
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avoiding <a href="/philosophy/who-does-that-server-really-serve.html"> |
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Service as a Software Substitute</a>, unless the service is run by a state |
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agency under the same branch of government, as well as other practices |
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that diminish the state control over its computing. Therefore,</p> |
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<ul> |
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<li><b>State must control its computers</b><br /> |
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Every computer that the state uses must belong to or be leased by |
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the same branch of government that uses it, and that branch must not |
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cede to outsiders the right to decide who has physical access to the |
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computer, who can do maintenance (hardware or software) on it, or |
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what software should be installed in it. If the computer is not |
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portable, then while in use it must be in a physical space of which |
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the state is the occupant (either as owner or as tenant).</li> |
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</ul> |
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<h3>Influence Development</h3> |
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<p>State policy affects free and nonfree software development:</p> |
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<ul> |
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<li><p><b>Encourage free</b><br /> |
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The state should encourage developers to create or enhance free |
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software and make it available to the public, e.g. by tax breaks |
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and other financial incentive. Contrariwise, no such incentives |
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should be granted for development, distribution or use of nonfree |
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software.</p></li> |
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<li><p><b>Don't encourage nonfree</b><br /> |
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In particular, proprietary software developers should not be able to |
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“donate” copies to schools and claim a tax write-off for the nominal |
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value of the software. Proprietary software is not legitimate in a |
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school.</p></li> |
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</ul> |
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<h3>E-waste</h3> |
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<p>Freedom should not imply e-waste:</p> |
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<ul> |
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<li><p><b>Replaceable software</b><br /> |
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Many modern computers are designed to make it impossible to |
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replace their preloaded software with free software. Thus, the only |
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way to free them is to junk them. This practice is harmful to |
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society.</p> |
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<p>Therefore, it should be illegal, or at least substantially |
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discouraged through heavy taxation, to sell, import or distribute in |
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quantity a new computer (that is, not second-hand) or computer-based |
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product for which secrecy about hardware interfaces or intentional |
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restrictions prevent users from developing, installing and using |
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replacements for any and all of the installed software that the |
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manufacturer could upgrade. This would apply, in particular, to any |
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device on which <a href="/proprietary/proprietary-jails.html">“jailbreaking”</a> is needed to install a |
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different operating system, or in which the interfaces for some |
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peripherals are secret. |
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</p></li> |
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</ul> |
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<h3>Technological neutrality</h3> |
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<p>With the measures in this article, the state can recover control |
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over its computing, and lead the country's citizens, businesses and |
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organizations towards control over their computing. However, some |
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object on the grounds that this would violate the |
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“principle” of technological neutrality.</p> |
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<p>The idea of technological neutrality is that the state should not |
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impose arbitrary preferences on technical choices. Whether that is a |
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valid principle is disputable, but it is limited in any case to issues |
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that are merely technical. The measures advocated here address issues |
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of ethical, social and political importance, so they are |
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<a href="/philosophy/technological-neutrality.html">outside the scope |
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of <em>technological</em> neutrality</a>. Only those who wish to |
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subjugate a country would suggest that its government be |
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“neutral” about its sovereignty or its citizens' freedom.</p> |
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