{"id":28121,"date":"2025-04-02T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/?p=28121"},"modified":"2025-04-02T09:26:18","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T13:26:18","slug":"1984-was-yesterday-why-we-need-open-source-tools-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/en\/1984-was-yesterday-why-we-need-open-source-tools-today\/","title":{"rendered":"1984 was yesterday: Why we need open-source tools today"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWho controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.\u201d \u2013 George Orwell, <em>1984<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>When <a href=\"https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/1984_(novela)\">George Orwell wrote <em>1984<\/em><\/a>, he may not have imagined that, decades later, his dystopia would be less of a distant warning and more of an uncomfortable mirror of our present. Although we don\u2019t live under a single \u201cBig Brother,\u201d we are under the constant watch of <a href=\"https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gigantes_tecnol%C3%B3gicos\">a handful of companies<\/a> that know what we eat, who we talk to, what we desire, and even who we vote for. Surveillance is no longer imposed only through fear; now it can be downloaded for free from any app store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/imagen.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/imagen.png 1000w, https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/imagen-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/imagen-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/orwell.fandom.com\/wiki\/Big_Brother\">https:\/\/orwell.fandom.com\/wiki\/Big_Brother<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-xxxl-font-size\"><strong>Smile, you\u2019re being watched<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We live in a world where almost everything we do online\u2014from sending a message to saving a recipe\u2014is monitored, collected, sold, or used to fuel algorithms that decide what we see, what we don\u2019t, and what we believe. This is not science fiction; it is the business model of big tech companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"465\" height=\"310\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/imagen-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28124\" style=\"width:960px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/imagen-1.png 465w, https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/imagen-1-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 465px) 100vw, 465px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\"> https:\/\/www.euronews.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><style type=\"text\/css\">p { line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.25cm; background: transparent }a:visited { color: #800000; text-decoration: underline }a:link { color: #000080; text-decoration: underli<\/style>Today, just five major corporations\u2014Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, and Meta\u2014concentrate the power to decide how we communicate, how we organize, and what tools we use to do so. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.derechosdigitales.org\/24797\/el-rol-de-las-big-tech-en-el-auge-del-autoritarismo\/\">This concentration<\/a> not only limits our digital freedom but also puts our security, our privacy, and ultimately, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/pedimos-a-las-big-tech-proteccion-para-las-personas-y-las-elecciones\/\">our democracy at risk.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-xxxl-font-size\">The effort is worth it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Choosing open-source tools is not (just) a technical decision. <a href=\"https:\/\/tacticaltech.org\/news\/insights\/persistent-problems-of-digital-resilience\/\">It is a political one<\/a>, <strong>which often also involves certain privileges:<\/strong> time, access to information, technical skills, or support networks that not everyone has. It is about asking ourselves what model we want to support: one based on surveillance and data extraction, or one based on autonomy, transparency, and collective care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, change is hard. It requires effort. But it is the same effort that developers, activists, and organizations put into sustaining these free alternatives. And it is also the effort that our networks, workplaces, and projects deserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As in <em>1984<\/em>, the fight is not only against a system that surveils but also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accessnow.org\/basta-normalizar-vigilancia-masiva-america-latina\/\">against the normalization of that surveillance.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-xxxl-font-size\">Tools to build a different future<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Below, we share a <a href=\"https:\/\/baserow.io\/public\/gallery\/ufQOorUxMGxBLExuQyJsRzRkj1ie85liilCEELjorIs\">list of open-source and secure tools<\/a> that we at TEDIC use and that you can start using today. Some are ideal for personal use; others are perfect for organizations that want to stop depending on proprietary services. They are not &#8220;more difficult&#8221;; they simply require a different type of commitment and organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\" data-id=\"28108\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SLIDE-2-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28108\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SLIDE-2-2.png 1080w, https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SLIDE-2-2-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SLIDE-2-2-768x960.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\" data-id=\"28111\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SLIDE-2-4.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28111\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SLIDE-2-4.png 1080w, https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SLIDE-2-4-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SLIDE-2-4-768x960.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\" data-id=\"28113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/4-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28113\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/4-1.png 1080w, https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/4-1-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/4-1-768x960.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-xl-font-size\"><strong>Communication<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Less WhatsApp, more Signal<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/problemas-con-whatsapp-pasate-a-signal\/\"><strong>Why switch to Signal?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Less Slack, more Element (Matrix)<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/matrix-element-la-mensajeria-del-futuro-ya-llego-parte-1\/\"><strong>The messaging of the future is here<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-xl-font-size\"><strong>Storage, Analytics, and Data Collection<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Less Google Drive, more Nextcloud<strong><br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/una-nube-para-tu-organizacion\/\"><strong>A cloud for your organization<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Less Google Forms, more LimeSurvey<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.limesurvey.org\/es\"><strong>More control over your surveys<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Less Google Analytics, more Matomo<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/metricas-y-analitica-web-sin-vigilancia\/\"><strong>Metrics without surveillance<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-xl-font-size\"><strong>Browsing and Security<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Less Chrome, more Firefox or Tor<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/support.mozilla.org\/es\/products\/firefox\"><strong>Firefox<\/strong><\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.torproject.org\/es\/\"><strong>Tor Browser<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Less BitLocker, more VeraCrypt<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/como-proteger-la-privacidad-de-tu-informacion\/\"><strong>Protect your information<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Less Google Password Manager, more KeePassXC<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/gestor-de-contrasenas-offline\/\"><strong>Offline password management<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-xl-font-size\"><strong>Email<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Less Gmail and Hotmail, more ProtonMail, Riseup, or Thunderbird<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/prism-break.org\/en\/categories\/gnu-linux\/#email\"><strong>Secure email options<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-xl-font-size\"><strong>Video Calls<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Less Zoom and Meet, more Jitsi and BigBlueButton<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/videoconferencias-seguras-y-para-todes\/\"><strong>Secure video calls for everyone<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-xl-font-size\"><strong>Operating Systems<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Less Windows or macOS, more Debian, Mint, or Ubuntu<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/prism-break.org\/en\/categories\/gnu-linux\/\"><strong>Explore GNU\/Linux<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-xl-font-size\"><strong>Social Networks<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Less X, more Mastodon and Bluesky<br \/>Decentralized platforms where each community sets its own rules. No algorithm tells you what to think.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-xl-font-size\"><strong>Infrastructure and Hosting<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Less Amazon Web Services, more Mayfirst<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/mayfirst.coop\/es\/\"><strong>Cooperative digital infrastructure<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-xxxl-font-size\"><strong>It\u2019s not just about tools<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Switching software is not enough if we do not also change the way we organize and think about the digital world. We need to build safe and autonomous spaces from the very design of our practices: how we work, how we communicate, how we host our data. Digital security is not a product to be purchased; it is a habit that requires our organizations and activism to work collectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mass surveillance is not an inevitable destiny. We can choose a different path. We can build alternative ways to inhabit the internet. It may not be easy, but neither is sustaining surveillance as the norm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to keep exploring free alternatives, you can check out this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/herramientas-de-conocimiento-abierto-para-la-educacion-virtual\/\">list of tools for virtual education <\/a>or write to us so we can continue thinking together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This publication has been funded by Br\u00f6t f\u00fcr die Welt. Its content is the sole responsibility of TEDIC and does not necessarily reflect the views of Bread for the World.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cWho controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.\u201d \u2013 George Orwell, 1984 When George [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":28099,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1233,1249],"tags":[1646,1379,1653,1594],"class_list":["post-28121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en","category-disruptive-technologies","tag-big-tech","tag-digital-security","tag-open-source-2","tag-seguridad-digital-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/45"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28121"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28142,"href":"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28121\/revisions\/28142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tedic.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}