diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore index b1a0aec..10d7422 100644 --- a/.gitignore +++ b/.gitignore @@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ node_modules/ # Build output -#build/ +build/ # Logs *.log diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md index bceb3e3..ab63011 100644 --- a/AGENTS.md +++ b/AGENTS.md @@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ This project builds a presentation deck for Marp based on Markdown files. - Use `slides/` directory for Markdown slide files - Use `assets/` for images and media files - Use `themes/` for custom Marp themes +- Use `build/` directory for generated output files (ignored by git) ### Naming Conventions - Slide files: `index.md`, `additional-slides.md` (descriptive names) diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 092e629..951f1ad 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ Generate HTML files from Markdown: ```bash npm run build ``` -Output files are created in the `build/` directory. +Output files are created in the `build/` directory (ignored by git). ### Export Formats @@ -56,13 +56,13 @@ Output files are created in the `build/` directory. ```bash npm run export:pdf ``` -Generates PDF files in the `build/` directory. +Generates PDF files in the `build/` directory (ignored by git). #### HTML Export ```bash npm run export:html ``` -Generates standalone HTML files in the `build/` directory. +Generates standalone HTML files in the `build/` directory (ignored by git). ### Watch Mode @@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ malta-slides-marp/ ├── assets/ # Images and media files ├── themes/ # Custom CSS themes │ └── custom-theme.css # Example custom theme -├── build/ # Generated output files +├── build/ # Generated output files (ignored by git) ├── node_modules/ # Dependencies ├── package.json # Project configuration ├── Makefile # Alternative build commands diff --git a/build/assets/oracle-lawsuit.png b/build/assets/oracle-lawsuit.png deleted file mode 100644 index 9595e8d..0000000 Binary files a/build/assets/oracle-lawsuit.png and /dev/null differ diff --git a/build/index.html b/build/index.html deleted file mode 100644 index 9ef2e0d..0000000 --- a/build/index.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,490 +0,0 @@ -Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
- -

Digital Independence Day

-

Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy

-

Michał Czechowski
-University Lecturer & Open Source Enthusiast
-Stuttgart, Germany

-

Science in the City Festival Malta – September 17, 2025

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

About Me

-

Michał Czechowski

-
    -
  • University Lecturer at DHBW Stuttgart & LFH Hannover
    • -
  • 20+ years software engineering experience
    • -
  • FOSS transformation specialist
    • -
  • Polish-German background: generational experience with authoritarian control
    • -
  • Passionate about empowering digital independence through democratic technology
    • -
-

"From surviving authoritarianism to building digital freedom"

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
- -
    -
  • -

    2014: Oracle aquires a marketing tech start-up based in Cupertino, California, for around $400 million.

    -
    • -
  • -

    2016: Oracle bragged about profiling 5 billion people worldwide, creating detailed cohorts from sensitive web browsing activity, names, home addresses, email addresses, and cross-device tracking data

    -
    • -
  • -

    $42.4 billion annual revenue from their BlueKai data brokerage operations, selling personal profiles to advertisers and third parties without consent

    -
    • -
  • -

    2024: Oracle forced to pay $115 million settlement after class action lawsuit led by privacy researchers Michael Katz-Lacabe (USA), Jennifer Golbeck (USA), and Johnny Ryan (Ireland)

    -
    • -
-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

What is Digital Independence?

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

Digital Independence

-

Democratic Control Over Information Systems

-

Digital Autonomy: The capacity for individuals and societies to make informed, voluntary decisions about their digital tools and data

-
    -
  • Individual Level: You control what software runs on your devices
    • -
  • Societal Level: Communities govern their digital infrastructure
    • -
  • Democratic Level: Transparent, accountable technology governance
    • -
-

Democracy enhanced by autonomy leads to better societal outcomes

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

Why Does Digital Autonomy Matter?

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

The Fourth Revolution: Living in the Infosphere

-

Luciano Floridi's Core Thesis: We now inhabit a "hyper-historical" world where the distinction between online and offline life has collapsed.

-

The infosphere - our combined digital and physical reality - means:

-
    -
  • Information systems ARE the infrastructure of modern society
    • -
  • Digital dependencies create systemic vulnerabilities
    • -
  • Control over information systems equals control over society itself
    • -
-

We are no longer users of digital tools - we are inhabitants of digital reality

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

Critical Infrastructure Dependencies

-

When information systems control:

-
    -
  • Healthcare: Electronic records, diagnostic systems, life support
    • -
  • Logistics: Supply chains, transportation networks, food distribution
    • -
  • Finance: Payment systems, banking infrastructure, economic stability
    • -
  • Democracy: Media platforms, electoral systems, public discourse
    • -
  • Education: Learning platforms, research access, knowledge distribution
    • -
-

Single point of failure = societal breakdown

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

When Digital Systems Fail, Society Fails

-

Recent Systemic Failures:

-
    -
  • Hospital ransomware attacks → patients die from delayed care
    • -
  • Social media manipulation → electoral interference, democratic erosion
    • -
  • Supply chain attacks → economic disruption, infrastructure breakdown
    • -
  • Platform censorship → suppression of legitimate discourse
    • -
  • Algorithmic bias → systemic discrimination at scale
    • -
-

Digital dependence without democratic control = societal vulnerability

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

Who Opposes Digital Autonomy?

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

The Opposition Alliance

-

Surveillance Capitalism Model:

-
    -
  • Extract behavioral data at unprecedented scale
    • -
  • Manipulate user behavior through algorithmic control
    • -
  • Create dependencies to maintain market dominance
    • -
-

Authoritarian State Interests:

-
    -
  • Monitor and control population behavior
    • -
  • Suppress dissent through platform manipulation
    • -
  • Weaponize civilian technology infrastructure
    • -
-

Shared Goal: Centralized control over information systems

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

Real-World Digital Attacks

-

Cambridge Analytica (2018): 87 million Facebook profiles harvested for election manipulation

-

Meta's Teen Depression Experiments (2021): Deliberately harmful algorithms tested on adolescents

-

Israel-Lebanon Pager Attack (2024): Consumer communication devices remotely weaponized

-

Palantir Surveillance Infrastructure: Military-grade population monitoring sold to corporations and governments

-

TikTok Algorithmic Influence: Foreign state influence over domestic youth culture and political discourse

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

Who's Fighting Back?

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

Digital Independence Success Stories

-

🇩🇪 Schleswig-Holstein: Complete state migration to Linux and LibreOffice, ending Microsoft dependency

-

🇫🇷 Lyon: 17,000 government computers migrated to Ubuntu, saving €2M annually in licensing costs

-

🇪🇸 Extremadura: 200,000 students educated on Linux-based systems, creating digital literacy without vendor lock-in

-

🇮🇹 South Tyrol: Government-wide OpenOffice deployment, demonstrating scalable alternatives

-

🇧🇷 Brazil: Constitutional requirement for open standards in government systems

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

FOSS vs. "Open Source" vs. Proprietary

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

Software Models Compared

-

Proprietary Software:

-
    -
  • Black box code, vendor control, only licenses
    • -
  • Surveillance capabilities built-in
    • -
-

"Open Source" (Silicon Valley):

-
    -
  • Source visible but corporate-controlled
    • -
  • "Open washing" marketing tactics
    • -
-

Free & Open Source Software (FOSS):

-
    -
  • Community governance, transparent code
    • -
  • Privacy by default, no surveillance by design
    • -
-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

How to Gain Digital Autonomy

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

Your Liberation Toolkit

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
CategoryProprietary ToolFOSS AlternativeImplementation Notes
CommunicationWhatsAppSignalEnd-to-end encrypted, normie-friendly
Element (Matrix)Decentralized protocol, tech-savvy users
Twitter/XMastodonActivityPub federation, choose instance wisely
DiscordElement/MatrixBridges available for Discord migration
Web BrowsingChrome/ChromiumFirefoxMozilla Foundation, privacy-focused
LibreWolfFirefox without telemetry, hardened
LadybirdComplete rebuild browser from scratch (summer 2026)
PluginsBlock Origin, Privacy Badger etc.Useful firefox/chromium extension for increased security
ProductivityMicrosoft OfficeLibreOfficeFull office suite, document compatibility
NotionLogseqLocal-first knowledge graphs
SlackMattermostSelf-hosted team communication
Video ConferencingMS Teams, ZoomJitsi MeetSelf-hostable, browser-based meetings
-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

Your Liberation Toolkit (continued)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
CategoryProprietary ToolFOSS AlternativeImplementation Notes
Cloud & StorageGoogle DriveNextcloudComplete cloud replacement
Google PhotosImmichSelf-hosted photo management
DropboxSyncthingP2P file synchronization
MediaYouTubePeerTubeFederated video hosting
NewPipeAndroid app, no Google Services needed
EmailGmailProton MailSwiss privacy laws protection
Mobile OSAndroid (Google)GrapheneOSPixel devices only, maximum security
LineageOSWider device support
Desktop OSMS WindowsGNU/LinuxHundreds of different distributions like Ubuntu, Arch etc.
macOSAsahi LinuxApple Silicon Macs, experimental support
-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

Implementation Strategy

-

Phase 1 - Low Risk:
-Communication tools, Browser, Search, Office suite

-

Phase 2 - Productivity:
-Operating system, Cloud storage, Email communication

-

Phase 3 - Infrastructure (our goal today):
-Cloud storage, Self-hosting, Complete sovereignty

-

For Phase 1 and 2 are hundreds of tutorials out there; I believe in you ❤️

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

Workshop Implementation Guide

-

Today's Focus:

-
    -
  • GNU/Linux hands-on exploration
    • -
  • First terminal commands
    • -
  • Building your personal migration roadmap
    • -
-

Take Home:

-
    -
  • Bootable Linux USB drive
    • -
  • Curated software recommendations
    • -
  • Community connection for ongoing support
    • -
-

Each participant leaves with practical next steps

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

Call to Action

-

Digital Independence is Democratic Necessity

-

In Floridi's infosphere, our digital choices are political choices.

-

Today's Workshop: Hands-on GNU/Linux exploration
-Your Mission: Begin your liberation journey
-Our Goal: Build digitally sovereign communities

-

The future of democracy depends on who controls our information systems

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
- -

References (1/3)

-

Core Theory:

-
    -
  • Floridi, L. (2014). The Fourth Revolution: How the infosphere is reshaping human reality. Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780199606726
    • -
-

Digital Attacks & Surveillance:

- - - -
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
- -

References (2/3)

-

Government FOSS Success Stories:

-
    -
  • -

    The Document Foundation (2024, April 4). German state moving 30,000 PCs to LibreOffice. https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2024/04/04/german-state-moving-30000-pcs-to-libreoffice/

    -
    • -
  • -

    Gascó, M. (2003). New technologies and institutional change in public administration. Social Science Computer Review, 21(1), 6-14. [Extremadura case study]

    -
    • -
  • -

    Camara, G. & Fonseca, F. (2007). Information policies and open source software in developing countries. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 58(1), 121-132. [Brazil open standards]

    -
    • -
-

Digital Democracy Platforms:

-
    -
  • -

    Aragón, P., et al. (2017). Deliberative Platform Design: The Case Study of the Online Discussions in Decidim Barcelona. Social Science Computer Review, 39(6), 1139-1162. https://decidim.barcelona/

    -
    • -
  • -

    vTaiwan Project Documentation. (2023). Digital Minister of Taiwan. https://vtaiwan.tw/

    -
    • -
-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
- -

References (3/3)

-

Infrastructure & Surveillance Systems:

-
    -
  • -

    Kotka, T., Vargas, C.A. & Korjus, K. (2015). Estonia's blockchain-based e-Residency program. Computer, 48(9), 106-108. [X-Road infrastructure]

    -
    • -
  • -

    Greenwald, G. (2014). No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State. Metropolitan Books. [PRISM program]

    -
    • -
  • -

    Liang, F., et al. (2018). Constructing a data‐driven society: China's social credit system as a state surveillance infrastructure. Policy & Internet, 10(4), 415-453.

    -
    • -
-
Michał Czechowski
-
-
-
Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
-

Questions & Discussion

-

Additional Resources:

- -

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."
-- Chinese Proverb

-
Michał Czechowski
-
-

A class action lawsuit is a legal case where one or more people sue on behalf of a large group, or "class," of others who have suffered similar harm from the same defendant.

Original thought: democracy minus (some) freedom - but we mean democratic control over technology, not corporate freedom

Floridi, "The Fourth Revolution: How the Infosphere is Reshaping Human Reality" - this is the foundational argument for why digital autonomy matters existentially

Additional examples: NSA PRISM program, Chinese social credit system, Russian election interference, facial recognition deployment

Additional: Barcelona's decidim platform, Estonia's X-Road infrastructure, Taiwan's vTaiwan digital democracy

Full table available in presentation notes with password managers, maps, video conferencing, etc.

https://web.archive.org/web/20220831224342/https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-knows-instagram-is-toxic-for-teen-girls-company-documents-show-11631620739

https://web.archive.org/web/20250912012501/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/18/world/middleeast/israel-exploding-pagers-hezbollah.html

\ No newline at end of file