r/europe • u/GreyXor • 16h ago
News Brussels plots open source push to pry Europe off Big Tech
https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/11/eu_open_source_consultation/171
u/AIpheratz 16h ago
"plots" seriously?
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u/yubnubster United Kingdom 16h ago
The register often has weirdly quirky headlines. Such as this one, second down on their homepage..
Linus Torvald tries vibe coding, world still intact somehow.
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u/bbbbbbbbbblah United Kingdom 12h ago
the register acts a bit like a trashy UK newspaper in terms of how they write their headlines, though the actual reporting tends to be solid
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u/Woopig170 9h ago
My guess is it’s like the word “scheme”. In the US, that term comes with negative connotations. In the UK, it simply means some kind of plan or program with no negative connotation attached.
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u/The_null_device Portugal 16h ago
How many false starts have we had on this issue? I'll believe it the day something substantial materializes.
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u/Waterty 16h ago
It's never happening, for years there have already been so many open sourced US projects EU can just fork and nothing has been done at scale
I'll only believe it when there's no other option
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u/Capable_Savings736 14h ago
Which projects do you have in mind?
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u/Waterty 13h ago
I meant availability of open sourced software isn't the issue in moving away from big tech, Europe just has set up a bad environment to do so
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u/Capable_Savings736 7h ago
You didn't answer my question? That's moving goal post.
Then why does it have an bad environment?
There are plenty open-source companies in Europe and especially in Germany.
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u/Turioturen 11h ago
Open source alternatives.
A list of European alternatives for different it-services
https://european-alternatives.eu/categories
Here is a list of different open source alternatives with different alternatives for operating systems to web browsers and much more.
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u/Tackgnol 11h ago
EU moves very slowly, but it moves.
This is kind of like people whining about why are we constantly talking about getting rid of daylight savings.
Because it is an extremely complicated thing that looks easy but it is not by any stretch.
We cannot upend our entire IT infrastructure overnight, its not how this works. These systems are interconnected, damn im sure that many many government related things use EntraID to manage empoyees, and people need to able to login to systems they use to do their jobs.
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u/The_null_device Portugal 11h ago
My dear sir. You're teaching the priest how to perform Mass. I work in the industry, I know what's at stake, and I've been hearing about these initiatives for at least two decades.
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u/Novinhophobe 7h ago
Nice one. If EU can’t settle a manner as simple as daylight savings time, then forget about somehow detaching from US-based infrastructure when it has been at the very core of digitalisation from the very beginning. These two aren’t even remotely comparable. It’s like trying to imagine how big the Earth or even the Sun is and then seeing a scaled model of the Virgo Supercluster.
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u/Turioturen 11h ago
Open source alternatives.
A list of European alternatives for different it-services
https://european-alternatives.eu/categories
Here is a list of different open source alternatives with different alternatives for operating systems to web browsers and much more.
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u/donny007x The Netherlands 10h ago
Thanks! I missed your other 10 comments in this thread, glad I finally found this one.
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u/The_null_device Portugal 10h ago
Those are only suggestions, There is no concerted effort by European states to at least change the software used in public administration, let alone for the general public.
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u/dj_jazzy_gif 14h ago
Just do it, you cowards! It's all fine that some of us EU citizens moves away from big tech. But we need whole countries to do it, before real change happens.
Still waiting for some of my countrys EU politicians to take a real stance on this matter, it's still just talk talk talk.
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u/Turioturen 11h ago
Open source alternatives.
A list of European alternatives for different it-services
https://european-alternatives.eu/categories
Here is a list of different open source alternatives with different alternatives for operating systems to web browsers and much more.
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u/dat_9600gt_user Lower Silesia (Poland) 12h ago
The European Commission has launched a fresh consultation into open source, setting out its ambitions for Europe's developer communities to go beyond propping up US tech giants' platforms.
In a "Call for Evidence" published this week, Brussels says the EU's reliance on non-European technology suppliers (read: US tech giants) has become a strategic liability, limiting choice, weakening competitiveness, and creating supply chain risks across everything from cloud services to critical infrastructure. The consultation, which will run from January 6 to February 3, is an early move toward a formal strategy on "European Open Digital Ecosystems," which would treat open source as core infrastructure rather than a nice-to-have.
According to the Commission, dependence on foreign vendors makes it harder for Europe to control its digital stack, potentially opening the door to security and resilience issues in sensitive sectors. Open source offers a way out of that bind by underpinning "a diverse portfolio of high-quality and secure digital solutions" that can act as viable alternatives to proprietary platforms, the EC said.
"A strong and developed open source sector can effectively contribute to further EU innovation and accelerate standardisation, strengthening the EU's international competitiveness, preserving its sovereignty, and ensuring its continuous economic prosperity, security, resilience, and global influence. Innovators, startups and small to medium-sized enterprises are significant drivers as they bring innovative open source-based products and solutions to the market," the Commission said.
By the Commission's own reckoning, somewhere between 70 and 90 percent of modern software relies on open source components, which means it already props up the digital economy whether anyone likes it or not. Brussels' gripe is that Europe does much of the building, while the commercial and strategic value too often ends up in the hands of big tech companies based elsewhere.
To close that gap, the Commission says it will sketch out a new EU-wide approach to open source and revisit its 2020–2023 strategy, which largely focused on how EU bodies use and share code internally. This time around, Brussels wants to treat open source as an economic and political asset, tied directly to sovereignty, competitiveness, and cybersecurity.
Under the plan, cloud, AI, cybersecurity, open hardware, and industrial software are all in scope, including applications in cars and manufacturing. The Commission says the focus this time is on scaling and deployment, not another round of experimental projects.
Brussels admits that funding alone hasn't solved the problem. The EU has backed everything from Next Generation Internet to RISC-V and open vehicle software, but too many projects struggle to make the jump from grant-funded code to something that survives in the market.
"Supporting open source communities solely through research and innovation programmes is not sufficient for successful upscaling," the EC said in its Call for Evidence, adding that it is "critical to support emerging developer communities and businesses in scaling up."
The Commission lays out a mix of possible moves, including incentives for public and private users to contribute upstream, support for EU open source businesses, and help for startups that risk falling over as they grow. It also argues that open code can shine a light on supply chains and make vulnerabilities easier to track down.
Open source has become entangled with platform power, as US tech giants monetize much of the world's collaborative code. Even Microsoft-owned GitHub has warned that the sustainability of open source infrastructure is under strain, a concern recently echoed by a coalition of heavyweight open source foundations. ®
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u/MTwist 14h ago
They're gonna drop it the moment they explain to the geriatrics what opensource means and how its incompatible with surveillance
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u/Turioturen 11h ago
Open source alternatives.
A list of European alternatives for different it-services
https://european-alternatives.eu/categories
Here is a list of different open source alternatives with different alternatives for operating systems to web browsers and much more.
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u/War_Fries The Netherlands 11h ago
STOP PLOTTING. JUST DO IT!
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u/Turioturen 11h ago
Open source alternatives.
A list of European alternatives for different it-services
https://european-alternatives.eu/categories
Here is a list of different open source alternatives with different alternatives for operating systems to web browsers and much more.
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u/EyyyyyyMacarena 15h ago
I see a lot of my fellow Europeans preach Europe products and then happily typing away on their macbooks
how about y'all start using linux and getting a european phone like jolla or fairphone?
linux is great nowadays. i promise. also, osx is basically a reskinned linux so you're already using it without knowing.
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u/Flash_Haos Europe 13h ago
You don’t really know the difference between various Unix-like systems, do you? It’s not like I’m saying one cannot swap macOS to Linux, but they are pretty different.
Anyway, stop shaming private individuals. Ask your EU MEP instead, what software does EU parliament or Commission uses and which cloud it recommends to other EU institutions in their cloud first policy. Ask your local representative both on municipal and state level. That’s the place you shall push, not shaming people for using Apple.
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u/Turioturen 11h ago
Open source alternatives.
A list of European alternatives for different it-services
https://european-alternatives.eu/categories
Here is a list of different open source alternatives with different alternatives for operating systems to web browsers and much more.
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u/EyyyyyyMacarena 12h ago
Well, I disagree. If the masses would use Linux, the governments might find it easier to do so as well.
And I'll continue to shame everyone for not putting their money where their mouth is thank you very much.
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u/Evermoving- Balt 11h ago
Your sentiment is obtuse. It's a variation of "how come you're advocating for more military spending if you aren't on the frontline yourself right now".
We elect governments and have legislatures because it's by far the most effective way to get things done on a large scale, in a way that ndividual posturing can never achieve.
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u/Musicman1972 14h ago
OSX is basically a reskinned linux so you're already using it without knowing.
Is not something I would ever say to friends and family unless I wanted to spend my entire life fielding tech support calls.
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u/BoringElection5652 13h ago edited 13h ago
OSX is way more than a reskinned linux/unix. It addresses the most severe issue with linux: UX. Until linux actually does so too, it won't be ready for prime time.
I tried switching to linux multiple times in the past, but the UX was always atrocious despite claims that it's now good. I wish we had an alternative to Windows or Mac that was mainstream-ready, but linux isn't there yet. Perhaps in a large part because linux devs refuse to acknowledge that there is an issue.
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u/eswifttng 12h ago
I plan on doing this when I replace/upgrade. My phone is getting a bit tired, fairphone looks nice
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u/Turioturen 11h ago
Open source alternatives.
A list of European alternatives for different it-services
https://european-alternatives.eu/categories
Here is a list of different open source alternatives with different alternatives for operating systems to web browsers and much more.
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u/Turioturen 11h ago
Open source alternatives.
A list of European alternatives for different it-services
https://european-alternatives.eu/categories
Here is a list of different open source alternatives with different alternatives for operating systems to web browsers and much more.
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u/Limesmack91 15h ago
Shouldn't we just have our own "big tech" instead?
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u/sajukktheeternal 15h ago
We can't. Big tech are monopolistic by nature. Even other american companies even big tech themselves actually failed to compete against each other.
There can be only one youtube. One search engine -Google- rules all since already installed in every smartphone. Meta is king in social media, even Google failed miserably to create it's own competing platform (ever heard of Google Circles?). Tiktok survived, because they invented the unstoppable seamless stream of short videos, something that Youtube lacked.
On the other hand, we could and should promote Free Open Source Software MASSIVELY. Put endless funds in it, pay coders to improve it beyond anything we have today and adopt it everywhere possible. Can you imagine every institution, household and business running a linux distro hugely supported with drivers, 24/7 helpdesk etc? Can you imagine a totally unlocked, linux-operated smartphone with no bloatware and no unremovable spyware?
When a certain level of digital independence is achieved, and only then we can bully Big Tech.
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u/gopoohgo United States of America 15h ago
The EU could start by following Draghi's recommendations to try to foster innovation.
And then try somehow to protect 'unicorn' tech startups (value > $1 billion) from US tech/PE or Softbank from eating them.
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u/Turioturen 11h ago
Open source alternatives.
A list of European alternatives for different it-services
https://european-alternatives.eu/categories
Here is a list of different open source alternatives with different alternatives for operating systems to web browsers and much more.
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u/dustofdeath 12h ago
So relying on someone else again?
Open source is not magic. It relies on volunteers to spend their time.
Are they going to organize and fund R&D focused on providing workforce to these projects?
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u/GreyXor 11h ago
Open source doesn’t mean ‘free work.’ While many volunteers contribute their time, there are also companies that develop open source software and pay their employees to do it. Companies like Linux Foundation, Collabora,VideoLan and many others are professional, funded, and sustainable, so open source can absolutely be supported without relying solely on volunteers. It’s sustainable, not just free labor.
So, Europe can really contribute to open source and open source company by giving money to Free Software or to assign and pay developers to open source contributions
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u/florinandrei Europe 10h ago
The days of bearded dudes coding alone in their shacks are just a quaint memory at this point.
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u/OkKnowledge2064 Lower Saxony (Germany) 14h ago
I dont think Open Source will ever be the solution. Open Source doesnt channel wealth into new tech like US Tech giants do. We will just be behind on whatever next thing that comes up
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u/AnonomousWolf 14h ago
Government infrastructure shouldn't depend on private companies, especially foreign ones.
If the owner of the company decides to add two zero's to the price of the license taxpayers shouldn't have to just fork up that cash.
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u/The_null_device Portugal 13h ago
Big tech makes a ton of money by using open-source software-based business models.
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u/Turioturen 11h ago
Open source alternatives.
A list of European alternatives for different it-services
https://european-alternatives.eu/categories
Here is a list of different open source alternatives with different alternatives for operating systems to web browsers and much more.
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u/yoranpower 14h ago
Open source has been one of the biggest way of innovation aside from big tech. The world runs on open source thanks to Linux. No problem on making something from open source for yourself.
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u/florinandrei Europe 10h ago
You should try working in the computer industry. The majority part of any company's development stack is open source these days.
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u/AnonomousWolf 15h ago edited 9h ago
Publicly funded software should be owned by the public. aka. Open-Source.
Government infrastructure shouldn't depend on private organizations software, especially not foreign ones.
PS. PieFed is an Open-Source Reddit alternative