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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
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"
What is Digital Independence?
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
Why Does Digital Autonomy Matter?
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
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
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
Who Opposes 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
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
Who's Fighting Back?
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
FOSS vs. "Open Source" vs. Proprietary
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
How to Gain Digital Autonomy
Your Liberation Toolkit
<style scoped> table { font-size: 1.1rem; } </style>| Category | Proprietary Tool | FOSS Alternative | Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communication | Signal | End-to-end encrypted, normie-friendly | |
| Element (Matrix) | Decentralized protocol, tech-savvy users | ||
| Twitter/X | Mastodon | ActivityPub federation, choose instance wisely | |
| Discord | Element/Matrix | Bridges available for Discord migration | |
| Web Browsing | Chrome/Chromium | Firefox | Mozilla Foundation, privacy-focused |
| LibreWolf | Firefox without telemetry, hardened | ||
| Ladybird | Complete rebuild browser from scratch (summer 2026) | ||
| Plugins | Block Origin, Privacy Badger etc. | Useful firefox/chromium extension for increased security | |
| Productivity | Microsoft Office | LibreOffice | Full office suite, document compatibility |
| Notion | Logseq | Local-first knowledge graphs | |
| Slack | Mattermost | Self-hosted team communication | |
| Video Conferencing | MS Teams, Zoom | Jitsi Meet | Self-hostable, browser-based meetings |
Your Liberation Toolkit (continued)
<style scoped> table { font-size: 1.1rem; } </style>| Category | Proprietary Tool | FOSS Alternative | Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud & Storage | Google Drive | Nextcloud | Complete cloud replacement |
| Google Photos | Immich | Self-hosted photo management | |
| Dropbox | Syncthing | P2P file synchronization | |
| Media | YouTube | PeerTube | Federated video hosting |
| NewPipe | Android app, no Google Services needed | ||
| Gmail | Proton Mail | Swiss privacy laws protection | |
| Mobile OS | Android (Google) | GrapheneOS | Pixel devices only, maximum security |
| LineageOS | Wider device support | ||
| Desktop OS | MS Windows | GNU/Linux | Hundreds of different distributions like Ubuntu, Arch etc. |
| macOS | Asahi Linux | Apple Silicon Macs, experimental support |
Implementation Strategy
1. Kyū (yellow belt 🟡): Communication tools, Browser, Search, Office suite
2. Kyū (orange belt 🟠): Operating system, Cloud storage, Email communication
3. Kyū (green belt 🟢): Cloud storage, Self-hosting, Complete sovereignty
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
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
Trade-offs of Using FOSS
Everything Comes with a Price:
- Self-Responsibility: No one to blame except yourself when things go sideways
- Accessibility Over Polish: "Not so smooth" interfaces, therefore highly accessible
- Modular Solutions: Rarely "All-in-One"-Solutions, mostly a potpourri of multiple solutions to meet your needs
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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:
-
Cadwalladr, C. & Graham-Harrison, E. (2018, March 17). Revealed: 50 million Facebook profiles harvested for Cambridge Analytica in major data breach. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/17/cambridge-analytica-facebook-influence-us-election
-
Wells, G., Horwitz, J., & Seetharaman, D. (2021, September 14). Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-knows-instagram-is-toxic-for-teen-girls-company-documents-show-11631620739
- Frenkel, S., Bergman, R. & Saad, H. (2024, September 18). How Israel Built a Modern-Day Trojan Horse: Exploding Pagers. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/18/world/middleeast/israel-exploding-pagers-hezbollah.html
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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/
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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.
Questions & Discussion
Additional Resources:
- Open Source Alternative Directory: https://www.opensourcealternative.to/
- OSS Malta Community: https://ossmalta.eu/
- Presentation Materials: https://dailysh.it/malta
- Contact: malta@dailysh.it
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." - Chinese Proverb
Digital Independence Day - Workshop
Hands-On Exploration
Michał Czechowski University Lecturer & Open Source Enthusiast Stuttgart, Germany
Science in the City Festival Malta – September 17, 2025
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1. Kyū
yellow belt 🟡
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2. Kyū
orange belt 🟠
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3. Kyū
green belt 🟢
