Hans-Christoph Steiner @eighthave@librem.one
Joined Aug 2019
Instead Germany should be proud of its record of defending its citizens for the past decades using public law enforcement, instead secret forces and black ops. That is the right path, and is an example for the world.
#Germany gave the world two of the most oppressive spy apparatuses the world has ever seen: the #Gestapo and the #Stasi, one right after the other, spanning many decades. Before that, the #GermanEmpire also had such things for decades. The world really does not need Germany to increase the powers of its spy agencies
https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-foreign-intelligence-agency-power-bnd/
Much of #Austria's society was also complicit in the #Nazi era abuses, and Austria keeps its spy agencies very limited, even compared to Germany's #BND.
#FreeSoftware developers helped make #Android what it is today. #Google set the tone at the start by making it a more open ecosystem than #iOS and others. We saw #AOSP and its #OpenSource core, and we contributed code, built essential libraries and indispensable apps for the #platform because it was more #open. Now Google wants to take that way from everyone by becoming the sole arbiter of what apps run
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
📣 Großartige News:
Die re:publica kommt nach Wien! 🇦🇹
Wir freuen uns riesig auf den Austausch zu digitaler Demokratie, Grundrechten & Netzpolitik – und darauf, zivilgesellschaftliche Perspektiven einzubringen. Wir sind seit vielen Jahren auf der re:publica in Berlin vertreten. Wien kann sehr von dieser Veranstaltung profitieren. CFP startet in Mai. #rp26
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
You can jailbreak an F-35 just like an iPhone, says Dutch defense chief - https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/18/jailbreak_an_f35/ now do trident submarines...
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
People should be able to write software for Android, and distribute it outside Google's Play store, without having to:
* pay Google
* give government to with Google
* agree to Google terms and conditions
People should be able to install the software they want on their phone, from sources other than Google's Play store, without having to jump through Google-imposed hoops.
e.g. via F-Droid.
We've got until September this year to stop Google squeezing the open Android ecosystem.
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
I had an interesting discussion about software supply-chain security with @joshbressers in the Open Source Security podcast last week: https://opensourcesecurity.io/2025/2025-11-xz-debian-otto/
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
The #FDroid website has a new banner on top to remind visitors that #Google did not change course and #Android will be locked-down in under 200 days.
If you care about the freedom to control your devices and care about the privacy of you data, please contact your representative and make your voice heard.
https://keepandroidopen.org/ (thanks @marcprux) has the resources to guide you.
We know users will rarely visit the site so the Client(s) will get a banner soon too.
Thank you for your support!
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
AI slop is so useful and desirable that Google and Microsoft have to spend shit ton of money to have "influencers" shill for it:
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/06/google-microsoft-pay-creators-500000-and-more-to-promote-ai.html
Remember when "influencers" were shilling for NFTs? That was fun and ended well for everyone involved, proving NFTs are actually useful. 🤡
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
"The initiative targets light pollution and seeks to reduce disruptions to nocturnal species, particularly bats, which are sensitive to urban light."
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
Friendly reminder:
NO ONE needs AI slop and more AI data centres
EVERYBODY needs clean water, affordable energy, and a habitable planet
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
If the project you work on is based on a standard or specification external to the project or should be a standard in your opinion, please complete the survey at the following link:
https://sovereigntechfund.limesurvey.net/999999
🗓 Deadline: 9 March 2026
Thank you for your time and for your contributions. 💜
(2/2)
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
The Sovereign Tech Agency is exploring how to better support open source maintainers and contributors who are actively working on technology standards relevant to their open source infrastructure projects.
Open standards are foundational to a healthy open source ecosystem. They enable interoperability, enhance digital sovereignty, foster competition and innovation and ensure that critical digital infrastructure remains accessible and serves the public interest.
(1/2)
Just finished a 10 hour day doing volunteer work on #DigitalMarketsAct #AndroidDeveloperVerification and related #policy things. It is really important work, especially for #FOSS @fdroidorg and more. It is quite interesting, I only wish I could get paid to do it so I could engage more. The #EuropeanCommission and others would certainly welcome more input from people like me.
#Apple says the #EU #DigitalMarketsAct delays features by a couple months, and advises other governments not to follow the #DMA example.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgj9kjmvzzo
Perhaps. What is clear is that the DMA brings real gains in interoperability. For example, because of the DMA, #AirDrop now can work between #iOS and #Android
I think this same pressure also got Apple to implement #RCS to provide encrypted text messages between the #mobile #duopoly operating systems.
Also, in the UK the competition regulator is pushing Apple and Google to open up https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c626rng1v63o
So if the Epic vs. Google settlement is global, its basically moot in the UK since the CMA is already on Google to open up.
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
You did not actively consent to allow #LinkedIn to use your data for AI training.
Turn it off now; here's how!
https://tuta.com/blog/linkedin-ai-user-data
✊️ Fight AI & fight Big Tech
You have to manually turn off "Data for generative AI improvement"
Share so everyone is aware. ❤️
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
The German federal government currently pays €481 million in licensing fees to #Microsoft every year.
I'm sure @zendis could build some nice stuff with half the money and make it available for everybody else to re-use.
Joined Aug 2019
