this post was submitted on 26 Jan 2025
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Technology
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Libre software is important, and relates to the article insofar as it can help keep our own devices from spying on us, but software is merely an incidental detail within a larger problem. This is about abusive power structures, bad actors with too much influence, and profit taking precedence over human rights. No software license will solve it.
Further, decentralized software means almost fuck-all when all the hardware and pipes are owned by corporations and governments.
Even if it allows the user to modify the software and for example remove the unhealty aspects and then redistribute that to other people, as Free Software does?
Or do you mean more, some things will never be available as Free Software?
Did you read the article? It's not really about spyware in the devices we "own". That's just a minor detail.
The problem being discussed comes from governments, laws, and capitalist motives being allowed to systematically exploit people who can easily be exploited. This takes place mostly outside of our devices, so although putting safer software on our devices is absolutely worthwhile, doing so cannot fix this problem.
You're right, I'm not really sure if I understand what the article is about. And how it translates to the title and us, the people.
I'm aware of oppressive regimes, weapon systems, surveillance, misinformation and manipulation taking place all around the world. And all of that becoming very efficient by technology, automation, algorithms, etc.
I don't think we can rely on the government or the companies, though. The goverment itself is the entitiy oppressing the people. And since the article is talking about the Trump situation... I mean all the billionaires and tech-bros were present at his inauguration ceremony, kissing his ass... I don't think we can rely on them or their employees, either...
So my thinking is, if it's technology that's going to solve this, or the citizens have any influence in the first place... as the title implies(?!), it has to be something like Free Software. Or at least something independent. Or is there anything else left?
But I'd agree, me using LibreOffice and encrypting my phone is not going to change if some trans people get arrested somewhere... I really don't understand what the article wants to tell me... We could overturn the government? Or stop sending weapons or similar tech to certain countries... But that's all political. None of that is really related to technology in the sense that the answer lies within technology...
Unfortunately, the headline is misleading. It's possible that the author chose it because gathering an audience by criticising "tech" is easy. It's also possible that she misunderstands the root of the issues she discusses. shrug
The only way I know of to solve the problem is to reclaim our governments, and reform them. Historically, that has been done through democracy and through revolution. The former approach is getting harder, and the way things are going, might disappear if we let them go unchecked for too long.
Thanks for explaining. I get that. Seems we're moving away from democracy and freedom these days. That's hard to tackle. And there's a multitude of reasons and dynamics at play. I've also learned at school we usually have reforms or revolution available. Plus a few successful forms of nonviolent resistance. Or civil war, war and a restart, continued oppression... We'll see. I hope for the best. But in my opinion freedom is a constant fight, even in "free" countries, it's not granted automatically or indefinitely.