EDRi: FOSS is key to Europe’s digital sovereignty vs Big Tech dependency and vendor lock-in. 💻

Public funds should back open code for transparency, auditability—no proprietary US risks like data access or blackmail. 🛡️

@nprofile1q...

🔗 https://edri.org/our-work/europes-digital-sovereignty-starts-with-open-source/

#TechNews #Privacy #OpenSource #DigitalSovereignty #EU #Europe #FOSS #DataProtection #BigTech #Government #Politics #Democracy #Transparency #Accountability #US #USA

Tor Browser 16.0a3 alpha now available, with Firefox security updates, Tor 0.4.9.5, NoScript 13.5.12 🛡️

Updates disable online suggestions, adjust adult content flags vs fingerprinting, extend WASM blocking to workers, add UTC timestamps to logs 🔧

Alpha for testing only - stable advised for at-risk users ⚠️

@nprofile1q...

🔗 https://blog.torproject.org/new-alpha-release-tor-browser-160a3/

#TechNews #Privacy #Security #Cybersecurity #OpenSource #Browser #Anonymity #DataProtection #FOSS #Linux #Infosec #Encryption #Tor #Browser #Mozilla

Linux Mint may reduce how often it releases new versions, aiming for fewer but more polished updates. ⚙️
The team says constant releases limit real development time — and stability, not speed, should lead. 🕓

Thoughts? Better cadence or slower innovation? 💭

@nprofile1q...

🔗 https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-mint-longer-release-cycle/

#TechNews #Linux #OpenSource #FOSS #Software #Updates #Privacy #Security #Data #Ubuntu #Wayland #Technology #Innovation #Mint #LinuxMint #Debian #Ubuntu #Fedora #Freesoftware #Freedomg #Tech

Google agrees to $135M settlement over collecting Android users' cellular data without consent, even when apps were closed and location was off. 📱
Users may claim up to $100 each; Google will improve data transfer controls and disclosures, though it denies wrongdoing. ⚖️

🔗 https://www.theverge.com/tech/870056/google-cellular-data-lawsuit-settlement

#TechNews #Google #Android #Privacy #Data #Settlement #Lawsuit #ConsumerRights #Mobile #Surveillance #Transparency #CCPA #BigTech #Rights #US #USA #EU #Europe #Smartphone #Samsung #Pixel #Security

The Linux kernel community has quietly drafted a continuity plan for a post‑Torvalds era. 🐧

Rather than naming a successor, it outlines a collective process to select future maintainers — reducing “bus-factor-of-one” risk while preserving open governance and trust. ⚙️

Linus Torvalds says he has no plans to retire. ⏳

🔗 https://www.zdnet.com/article/linux-community-project-continuity-plan-for-replacing-linus-torvalds/

#TechNews #Linux #OpenSource #FOSS #Coding #Privacy #Governance #AI #Security #Data #Innovation #Developers #Accountability #Technology #LinusTorvalds

France mandates open source "Visio" across government by 2027, replacing Teams, Zoom, and non-EU videoconferencing tools 🖥️
MIT-licensed app runs on French infrastructure for full data sovereignty and security control 🔒
Emphasizes user freedom while challenging Big Tech 💻

🔗 https://itsfoss.com/news/france-ditches-microsoft-teams-and-zoom/

#TechNews #OpenSource #Privacy #Security #Government #EU #Data #Sovereignty #IT #PublicSector #Digital #Microsoft #Office #Software #Tech #Cloud #FOSS #France #Danmark #LibreOffice #Linux #French

Microsoft gave the FBI BitLocker recovery keys to unlock encrypted Windows PCs 🔑
The company says it complies with valid warrants — but unlike Apple or Meta, it can access stored keys 🧩
Raises major privacy & trust concerns over default cloud key storage ⚖️

🔗 https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/01/22/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-bitlocker-encrypted-data/

#TechNews #Cybersecurity #Privacy #Encryption #DataSecurity #Surveillance #Microsoft #FBI #Infosec #DigitalRights #Transparency #Cloud #BigTech #Security #CivilLiberties #Windows #Bitlocker #Apple #Meta #Google

EU launches four-week consultation on open source to reduce reliance on US tech giants in cloud, AI, cybersecurity, and automotive sectors. 🌍
Aims to fund scaling of European OSS projects, boost public procurement, and address supply chain security—but funding gaps post-research persist. 💻

🔗 https://itsfoss.com/news/eu-open-source-strategy-call-2026/

#TechNews #OpenSource #Privacy #EU #AI #Cloud #Cybersecurity #Linux #FOSS #Tech #Policy #DigitalSovereignty #Innovation #Software #Data #Europe #US #USA #Automotive #OSS

Google will release Android source code (AOSP) only twice yearly starting 2026—in Q2 and Q4—down from quarterly drops. 📱
The change aims for ecosystem stability under the trunk-stable model, but slows custom ROM development and reduces transparency for open-source contributors. ⚙️

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/aosp-source-code-schedule-3630018/

#TechNews #Android #OpenSource #Privacy #AOSP #Linux #Software #Development #Security #Data #FOSS #Tech #Innovation #Google #Mobile #ROM #CustomROM #GrapheneOS

🇦🇹 Austria’s data authority ruled Microsoft 365 Education illegally tracked students via cookies for ad purposes 🎓

Microsoft must grant students access to their personal data 🔐
Complaint filed by privacy group @nprofile1q... citing GDPR violations in EU schools ⚖️

Microsoft says it will review the decision and maintains GDPR compliance 📄

🔗 https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20251010-austria-finds-microsoft-illegally-tracked-students-privacy-campaign-group

#TechNews #Privacy #Microsoft #Education #GDPR #EU #Data #Students #Surveillance #Cookies #Regulation #Law #Transparency #BigTech #EdTech

🇩🇪 Schleswig-Holstein finished migrating from Microsoft Exchange to open-source email: Open-Xchange + Thunderbird. 📤

30,000 staff & 40,000+ mailboxes moved—part of state’s digital sovereignty push. 🔓
Some early issues, but migration is complete. ✅

A rare, large-scale open source win in government 🌐

@nprofile1q...

🔗 https://news.itsfoss.com/schleswig-holstein-email-system-migration/

#TechNews #Linux #OpenSource #FOSS #Privacy #Email #Security #GovTech #DigitalSovereignty #Microsoft #Thunderbird #LibreOffice #Cloud #DigitalTransformation #EU

🔐 Tor Browser 14.5.8 released — now available for all platforms

This update includes key security patches from Firefox, updated Tor (0.4.8.19), and OpenSSL (3.5.4). 🔧
Fixes include Safest mode search issues, HTTPS exception bugs, and Snowflake bridge updates. 🛠️

YEC 2025 UI changes also implemented across desktop and Android. 📱💻

🔗 https://blog.torproject.org/new-release-tor-browser-1458/

#Tor #Privacy #CyberSecurity #Firefox #OpenSource #TorBrowser #Linux #Android #iOS #TechNews #Encryption #SecurityUpdate #OpenSSL #Snowflake