Free Software to End Mass Surveillance with Ahmed Ghappour [GC, Espresso Systems]

good afternoon everyone my name is Ahmed gapor and I am general counsel at espresso systems formerly I was associate professor of law at Boston University School of Law a federal criminal defense lawyer and uh a human rights attorney and before that I was a computer engineer working at silicon graphics and Sun Microsystems welcome to my remote video Intervention which today will focus on the seemingly uncontroversial issue of mass surveillance and its impact on the four essential freedoms of free software as many of you know the concept of free software was introduced by Richard stalman in 1983 and has since been the foundation for many of the world's most significant technological innovations free software is based on the idea that users should have the freedom to use study share and modify the software they use MTH surveillance which entails the indiscriminate monitoring and collection of vast amounts of data on individuals and their digital activi poses a serious threat to the Integrity of free software first mass surveillance infringes upon the freedom to run a program for any purpose by monitoring the software you use and purposes for which you use it surveillance agencies May pressure or cerse you into certain applications or avoiding others this feeling of being watched stifles creativity and leads to chilling effects on those wanting to use software in ways that they see fit second the freedom to study how a program works and change it to suit your needs is jeopardized by mass surveillance one of the significant benefits of free software is the ability to learn from and adapt the code but surveillance breeds secrecy in code that undermines the very essence of free software and erods user trust surveillance tools often exploit vulnerabilities or use back doors in software which are intentionally kept hidden from users often times operationalized electronic search and seizure Authority requires that the promulgation of laws that compel assistance from third party software providers when these tools are embedded in free software becomes virtually impossible for users to understand how software works let alone modify it moreover when Mass surveillance is prevalent and preval particularly when scoped by Broad and often vague restrictions on their development sharing and modification developers and users may be afraid to Tinker with the code fearing and uh fearing that their modifications could attract unwanted attention from authorities this result stifles Innovation and discourages collaboration as individuals become less inclined to contribute to projects that could raise suspicions the third Freedom the right to redistribute copies to help your neighbor is also undermined by free by mass surveillance for example when the sharing of software is monitored users may become become hesitant to share their work fear fearing legal repercussions in other cases where users are aware that surveillance tools might be embedded within software they may become hesitant to share it with others which can lead to chilling effects on the distribution and sharing of free software as people fear the consequences of inadvertently spreading tools of surveillance this restricts the flow of knowledge and ideas within the community weakening the collaborative spirit that has made free software so success successful and then finally Mass surveillance poses a threat to the fourth Freedom the right to improve a program and release your improvements to the public users who attempt to make improvements may find themselves unable to do so without potentially exposing themselves to risk for example any Improvement made may be perceived as a threat by those who conduct Mass surveillance leading to potential retaliation against the individuals who seek to advance the software to sum up Mass surveillance poses a significant threat to the four essential freedoms of free software by stifling creativity deterring collaboration restricting the flow of knowledge that is fundamental to the success and growth of free of the free software movement as supporters of free software we must be vigilant in our efforts advocating for privacy and civil liberties and promoting transparency and accountability within our digital landscape this is a process that has to occur across the digital stack and I am Ahmed gapor thank you for welcoming my thoughts on this increasingly important topic