diff --git a/build/index.html b/build/index.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d399940 --- /dev/null +++ b/build/index.html @@ -0,0 +1,346 @@ +Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
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Digital Independence Day

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Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy

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

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Science in the City Malta • September 17, 2025

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About Me

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Michał Czechowski

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

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What is Digital Independence?

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Digital Independence

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Democratic Control Over Information Systems

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

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  • Individual Level: You control what software runs on your devices
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  • Societal Level: Communities govern their digital infrastructure
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  • Democratic Level: Transparent, accountable technology governance
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Democracy enhanced by autonomy leads to better societal outcomes

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Why Does Digital Autonomy Matter?

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The Fourth Revolution: Living in the Infosphere

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

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

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  • Information systems ARE the infrastructure of modern society
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  • Digital dependencies create systemic vulnerabilities
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  • Control over information systems equals control over society itself
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We are no longer users of digital tools - we are inhabitants of digital reality

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Critical Infrastructure Dependencies

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When information systems control:

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

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When Digital Systems Fail, Society Fails

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Recent Systemic Failures:

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  • Hospital ransomware attacks → patients die from delayed care
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  • Social media manipulation → electoral interference, democratic erosion
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  • Supply chain attacks → economic disruption, infrastructure breakdown
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  • Platform censorship → suppression of legitimate discourse
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  • Algorithmic bias → systemic discrimination at scale
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Digital dependence without democratic control = societal vulnerability

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Who Opposes Digital Autonomy?

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The Opposition Alliance

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Surveillance Capitalism Model:

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  • Extract behavioral data at unprecedented scale
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  • Manipulate user behavior through algorithmic control
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  • Create dependencies to maintain market dominance
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Authoritarian State Interests:

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  • Monitor and control population behavior
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  • Suppress dissent through platform manipulation
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  • Weaponize civilian technology infrastructure
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Shared Goal: Centralized control over information systems

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Real-World Digital Attacks

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

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

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

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

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

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Who's Fighting Back?

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Digital Independence Success Stories

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

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

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

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

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

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FOSS vs. "Open Source" vs. Proprietary

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Software Models Compared

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Proprietary Software:

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  • Black box code, vendor control, only licenses
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  • Surveillance capabilities built-in
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"Open Source" (Silicon Valley):

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  • Source visible but corporate-controlled
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  • "Open washing" marketing tactics
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Free & Open Source Software (FOSS):

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  • Community governance, transparent code
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  • Privacy by default, no surveillance by design
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How to Gain Digital Autonomy

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Your Liberation Toolkit

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CategoryProprietary ToolPrimary RiskFOSS AlternativeImplementation Notes
CommunicationWhatsAppMeta surveillanceSignalEnd-to-end encrypted, normie-friendly
WhatsAppMeta surveillanceElement (Matrix)Decentralized protocol, tech-savvy users
Twitter/XManipulation, censorshipMastodonActivityPub federation, choose instance wisely
DiscordGaming surveillanceElement/MatrixBridges available for Discord migration
Web BrowsingChromeComplete web trackingFirefoxMozilla Foundation, privacy-focused
ChromeComplete web trackingLibreWolfFirefox without telemetry, hardened
ProductivityMicrosoft OfficeSubscription bondageLibreOfficeFull office suite, document compatibility
NotionProductivity surveillanceLogseqLocal-first knowledge graphs
SlackWorkplace monitoringMattermostSelf-hosted team communication
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Your Liberation Toolkit (continued)

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CategoryProprietary ToolPrimary RiskFOSS AlternativeImplementation Notes
Cloud & StorageGoogle DriveDocument surveillanceNextcloudComplete cloud replacement
Google PhotosFace recognition miningImmichSelf-hosted photo management
DropboxFile access trackingSyncthingP2P file synchronization
MediaYouTubeAlgorithm addictionPeerTubeFederated video hosting
YouTubeAlgorithm addictionInvidiousPrivacy-focused YouTube frontend
EmailGmailEmail content scanningProton MailSwiss privacy laws protection
Mobile OSAndroid (Google)Life surveillanceGrapheneOSPixel devices only, maximum security
iOSApple ecosystem lock-inLineageOSWider device support
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Implementation Strategy

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Phase 1 - Low Risk:
+Browser, Search, Email migration

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Phase 2 - Productivity:
+Office suite, Cloud storage, Communication tools

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Phase 3 - Infrastructure:
+Operating system, Self-hosting, Complete sovereignty

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Detailed migration paths available in workshop materials

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Workshop Implementation Guide

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Today's Focus:

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  • GNU/Linux hands-on exploration
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  • Installing essential FOSS alternatives
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  • Building your personal migration roadmap
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Take Home:

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  • Bootable Linux USB drive
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  • Curated software recommendations
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  • Community connection for ongoing support
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Each participant leaves with practical next steps

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Call to Action

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Digital Independence is Democratic Necessity

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

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

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The future of democracy depends on who controls our information systems

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Questions & Discussion

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Resources:

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  • Event: malta-digital-independence.org
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  • FOSS Alternatives: ossmalta.eu
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  • Contact: michal@czechowski.de
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"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."
+- Chinese Proverb

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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

Note: This will be a scrollable table in Marp

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

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