2026-03-17 –, Room bUm Box
Companies that develop Free Software face a problem: competitors disguising proprietary software as “open” and undercutting Free Software products in public tenders. Such practices distort competition and undermine strategic procurement and digital sovereignty. Which openwashing methods are used, and what can be done about it?
Openwashing has become a growing challenge for users, developers, and public administrations, and for the entire Free Software ecosystem. Using various methods, some companies advertise their products as “free” or “open”, while in reality distributing proprietary software. The supposed creativity of these openwashers is remarkable: whether by using free/open wording, by introducing new licences that falsely appear to be free, or by imposing additional barriers that make it more difficult to use the freedoms offered by Free Software.
This misleading behaviour undermines efforts to achieve digital sovereignty through Free Software. It weakens strategic procurement aimed at ensuring that public money funds Free Software, as promoted by the Free Software Foundation Europe’s "Public Money? Public Code!" initiative. It also distorts competition, misleads customers, and erodes trust in the Free Software ecosystem.
The FSFE has been analysing openwashing and other questionable market practices over the past years. In this talk, we will look at concrete examples and examine how they harm Free Software manufacturers and maintainers. Finally, we will discuss what administrations, regulators, and the Free Software community can do to curb openwashing.
Johannes Näder is part of the Free Software Foundation Europe's (FSFE) policy team, where he coordinates the "Public Money? Public Code!" initiative. He holds an M.A. in Literature and History. Before joining the FSFE, Johannes worked as a net politics adviser to Members of Parliament, focusing on digital freedom, privacy, and Free Software. He has also published a book on Open Access and free licensing in the scientific community and is experienced in historical-political education.