End non-free advertisement: stamp out the ads!
One month, one campaign, one goal: getting rid of non-free software advertisements on public websites. In four weeks, FSFE received reports concerning 2162 European institutions who advertise non-free PDF readers. Apart from the 305 activists who participated to the search, 1500 individuals, 46 businesses and 38 organisations signed our Petition For The Removal Of Proprietary Software Advertising On Public Websites. Now that the hunt is over, it's time to chase up those websites which encourage visitors to jeopardise their freedom. It's time to stamp out the ads!
Highly motivated volunteers searched the internet for public websites that advertise non-free software and reported 2162 institutions. Some of them, like Massimo Barbieri and Lucas Bickel individually reported more than 350! Alessandro Albini, Rainer Schmitz, and Pavel Kharitonov also made a remarkable contribution in reporting around 50 institutions each.
But the FSFE won't stop with a list of institutions. In the coming weeks, FSFE will send letters to the institutions to draw their attention to their unfair advertising. In the name of the signatories of the petition, FSFE will ask the institutions to either remove any recommendation for non-free software from their website, or give a choice of several programs.
Wherever you are, whatever time you have, you can contribute to the removal of non-free software adverts on public websites. The amazing work of the ads hunters and our translators has laid a firm foundation for the next phase. Now it is up to you to enable us to get things done. You can make a difference! Help us to translate the letter into missing languages or donate to the PDF readers campaign fund to help cover the 1600 EUR for postage and the extra costs of administration to deliver the messages throughout Europe. Help us stamp out the ads!