Richard Stallman says there’s essentially no privacy on the Internet. He says proprietary software is typically designed to track users, and once data is collected it will be misused.
Stallman, who is president of the Free Software Foundation will speak at Kalamazoo College on Monday January 30th at 7:00. His address is called Computing, Freedom and Privacy. Stallman says the data collected can be misused by companies or rogue employees, and also by the government.
The Free Software Foundation does not advocate software being given away at no cost. Stallman says it’s important to think of “Free software” as in freedom. He says that should mean that the user has to have control over a program to run it however they wish, and to study source code and to make changes. Stallman says users should be able to make exact copies of a program and give them away and/or sell them. And he says users should be free to sell modified copies of the program.
Stallman says the main idea of Free Software is that there is collective control over the program. He says that makes it possible for a group of users, including some programmers, to exercise control.
Stallman says much of what proprietary software does on a computer is “an injustice” because it makes changes without the user’s authorization. He says a free program, can be changed to the user’s specifications. Stallman says a non-free program often spies on and restricts users, and may censor material such as controversial books.
Democracy depends on dissidents and whistle blowers says Stallman. He says for the public to hold government accountable, people have to know what’s going on. Stallman says that depends on journalists being able to contact sources and talk privately. He warns that too much surveillance leads to whistle blowers going to jail, and critical information will not come to light.
To protect his own privacy, Stallman says he doesn’t identify himself to websites. Aside from airline tickets, he pays cash. Stallman admits that there may be some convenience in making a purchase over the internet, but he says it’s not worth it to give up his privacy. “I’m not willing to let a company find out, who’s buying what, not when it’s me.”
