R13 A2: Information technologies and intellectual property policy within FYEG

FYEG opposes monopolies and oligopolies. Unfortunately, at the moment large
sectors of the digital sphere are dominated by very few companies which are
constantly trying to circumvent regulations, relentlessly aiming to increase
their power and ignore user rights. Though there are save and secure free and
open source alternatives available forto almost every software tool and service
the big tech companies offer at the moment. FYEG does not only support andwill act
politically to dismantling tech giants and demonopolising, de-monopolising digital offerings and
the digital sphere, but also strives for the internal use of open source
software and services, and supports regulators to set the highest possible standards in terms of user rights, digital security and
privacy.

Open-Source commitment

To support these aims and particularly ease the transition for users – no matter be it people, NGOs, the private or the public sector – we call for the EU-Parliament and Parliaments of Non-EU European countries to create funding programs with the objective to develop Free and Open Source Software through independent software developers. There should be similar programs which support the development of open source software libraries which substitute patented software which is at the moment one of the barriers for the wider use open source software.
Furthermore legal foundations must be created which define a timeline until when open source software must be in use in public institutions and institutions which operate with public money (partly or fully) or fulfil a public mandate.

As a principle FYEG:

• will adopt open source tools (as defined by the Free Software Foundation) for
developing its work.

• will run free software on its own computers, especially those to be used in
public.

• will use open formats for all public communications, publications and
materials transmitted.

• will avoid the use of non-open-source, non-free contents in its website and
all online tools.

• will ask for open formats to be used in documents officially addressed to
FYEG.

The use of non-free software may be justified when no similar free software is
available and when the objective cannot be reached by combining open source
tools.

Security

At least one FYEG official e-mail address will count with a GPG signature. All
official e-mail communications from FYEG shall be digitally signed. The public
key will be made available to the public.

Privacy and individual rights

In order to protect the privacy of individuals participating in any FYEG
activities:

• no pictures shall be posted on public sites or social networks without the
explicit consent of the individuals who can be identified in them.

• mailing lists archives and MO listings shall be kept accessible only by its
members.

The Executive Committee adopts a privacy policy that shall be accessible on its
website, in line with legal requirements and adapts said document timely in case
requirements and/or circumstances change and/or evolve.