A strong close to 2025 at 39C3; a promising start to 2026 thanks to your support
As 2026 begins, we are excited to see the projects from the new edition of YH4F, kicking off this month, and to start preparing for FOSDEM! At the same time, we are looking back at the last month of 2025: from 39c3 in Hamburg to our two latest Software Freedom Podcast episodes, and our updates on the Cyber Resilience Act and our work in the Apple v. European Commission litigation.
Wrapping up the year at the 39C3
Like many of you, we ended 2025 at 39c3! A fantastic way to end the year with high spirits and a shared hope for the future we all aspire to see in 2048. During our days in Hamburg, we participated in the Bits&Bäume habitat with a booth, talks, and workshops, engaging in deep, inspiring discussions with the community that often stretched late into the night. We also attended outstanding talks that reinforced how, together as a community, we can actively work toward this vision. This vision includes a future where all regulatory frameworks actively support the use and development of Free Software, such as the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).
“The door is open a crack, the wind is blowing, the post-American internet is upon us. It’s a new, good internet that delivers the technological self-determination of the old good internet and the easy of use of the Web 2.0 that let's our “normie” friends to use to. And I can't wait for us all to get to hang out there because it's going to be great. ”,Cory Doctorow, at 39c3, during the final moments of his talk in which he also asked people to donate to different organisations, such as the FSFE
The role of the CRA for Free Software, our intervention at the Apple case, and digital sovereignty
Before the holiday festivities, we took, once again, one in-depth look at this European law, sharing the insights and implications we gathered through our workstream within the BSI project Dialogue for Cybersecurity’: several questions remain open, especially regarding its implications for the Free Software landscape. The relationship between Free Software projects, potential stewards, and manufacturers hangs only partially defined, and official guidance will help.
In 2025 we were also busy defending another EU law, the DMA and intervening in the Apple v. European Commission (T-1080/23) hearing before the Court of Justice of the European Union. A couple of weeks ago we sent you a mailing about the status of this case with our achievements, which will have not been possible without your support and donations.
Another hot topic in Europe at the end of 2025 has been digital sovereignty and Bonnie and Alex tackle it in one of our Software Freedom podcast episodes in December. The answer is clear: digital sovereignty is only possible by empowering people and, therefore public institutions, to control their technology and own infrastructure. In this context, we also participated in a consultation on the Digital Decade Policy Programme of the European Commission. In Germany, we were invited by the Digital Ministry to participate in a workshop on the “Germany Stack”, giving us the opportunity to underline that digital sovereignty needs Free Software.
New Year, next stops: YH4F, FOSDEM, Ada translations...
Meanwhile, 2026 is already underway and with it, the programming period for the fifth edition of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom! Registration is still open, so if you know any European teenager eager to showcase their skills and creativity with Free Software, now it is the time to get them involved. Participants will have fun, meet like-minded peers, and even have the chance to win cash prizes! Find out all the insights in our dedicated podcast episode about it!
While YH4F kicks off, we’re also busy preparing for our participation at FOSDEM 2026,our first opportunity this year to see many of you in person! One more time we will be there co-organizing the popular Legal & Policy issues DevRoom as well as involved in the Funding the FOSS and FOSS mobile ones. Besides some other talks and workshops, we we’ve got some exciting new merchandise: fresh T-shirts, a new design for our Free Software socks, and a brand-new sticker to help spread the word about Device Neutrality and push back against the big tech companies threatening interoperability.
But that is not all: “I Love Free Software Day” is also around the corner and we cannot wait to celebrate it in different cities across Europe, as well as to get our hands on the latest published translation of Ada & Zangemann: a Dutch edition is coming! Pre-order it now and get it at FOSDEM!
Your support helps us move our work forward. Thank you!
With our winter fundraising wrapped up, we want to send a huge THANK YOU to everyone supporting us, including our amazing donors! We may be behind the wheel, but you’re the ones keeping us moving forward. You can also support us, contribute to our work, and join our community. Are you using social media? If so, do not forget to follow us there! Maybe you have already noticed we kicked off the year with a little game in Mastodon: a poll full of questions (and answers!) about Legal and Licensing topics in Free Software! You can also follow the FSFE news in your RSS Reader.
Your editor,
Ana