"The FSFE had the most impactful intervention in the EU’s highest court”
Our headline quotes a European Commission enforcement officer during a court hearing in a key case where the FSFE is intervening against Apple. As explained below, strategic litigation is one of many actions FSFE takes to protect Free Software. Our goal is simple: empowering people to control technology.
Wherever policies, legislation and regulation are being shaped, in meetings, hearings and expert discussions, we are there to make sure that Free Software is not just mentioned, but truly understood and defended. To provide a glimpse of our achievements, just in 2024 and 2025:
- We held 20+ presentations, workshops, talks and panels in Europe and beyond;
- We had 10+ expert meetings with the European Commission, telecom regulators and other authorities;
- We submitted 9 legal and technical reports to policy makers;
- We launched the DMA interoperability survey to collect real-world experiences from software developers requesting interoperability from gatekeeper companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft.
This work is effective and far-reaching: some weeks ago, the FSFE represented the interests of Free Software developers during the Apple vs European Commission case hearing. This is a pivotal case involving the legality of interoperability. Apple is claiming that granting free-of-charge interoperability to developers infringes its “human rights”. We came to the EU’s highest court in Luxembourg to prove them wrong.
Imagine the scene in the courtroom: Apple with more than ten lawyers on one side, and on the other, alone, the FSFE’s lawyer, Dr. Martin Husovec, and me in the audience. With clear and deep expertise, he reminded the Court that innovation does not exempt a company from democratic regulation, and that Apple’s ecosystem is built not only by the company, but also by the developers and users who depend on interoperability and freedom to install software. After the hearing, representatives from the Commission, Parliament, industry and academia approached us to commend our intervention
However, travelling to meetings and conferences, enabling developers to participate in regulatory discussions, and preparing in-depth legal and technical reports require significant resources. These include practical costs such as travel and accommodation, as well as the time and expertise needed to carry out thorough research and analysis. Two days in Luxembourg exceed 2,000 euros in expenses for our team, and legal work of this scale easily surpasses 10,000 euros.
That is why we need your support! To continue defending Free Software and Device Neutrality where decisions are made.
Your support helps transform expert work into real political impact, and ensures that Free Software voices cannot be ignored. Together, we can secure a Europe where users truly control their devices.
Become a supporter now and contribute to fight for Free Software and Device Neutrality in Europe.