Getting Started

The Paradox of Open

Numerous organisations and initiatives have been launched with a belief in openness and free knowledge. Their proponents placed their bets on the combined power of networked information services and new governance models for the production and sharing of content and data. We – as members of this broad movement – were among those who believed it possible to leverage this combination of power and opportunity to build a more democratic society, unleashing the power of the internet to create universal access to knowledge and culture. For us, such openness meant not only freedom, but also presented a path to justice and equality.

Introducing ONCE

Once upon a time you owned what you paid for, you controlled what you depended on, and your privacy and security were your own business. We think it’s that time again.

Measuring the Privacy Experience

How do you know that a product respects your privacy – other than by wading through the fine print? We’ve created a framework to measure the way people actually experience privacy in tech products.

We’re in the middle of a perfect storm for rollback of the “open web” and burgeoning online surveillance

Looking at fallout of the KOSA hearings today — and subsequent commentary — I remain optimistic for the development of social technology & communication but I’m beginning to think the ope…

Privacy as EU Tech advantage - The LeafPlaza Blog

Online crime loves legal massive data collection, grey systems, and jurisdictional gaps. Privacy-first design can actually reduce crime exposure and build trust in digital services. It is also central to the EU's tech autonomy: build systems aligning with European rights and risk models. Do not rely on foreign platforms or copy outside practices that might go against the EU values and needs.

About Us

Around the world, building the internet’s operating system—and a better way to work. In a world of tech companies fighting for growth at any cost, imagine one that gives away its most successful pr…

15 Open-Source Tools for Digital Sovereignty (2026) | Comparisons & Alternatives | Vucense

Own your digital stack. The 15 best open-source tools for privacy, security, and full control over your data — reviewed and ranked for 2026.

The Politics of Open Infrastructures: Power, Governance, and Justice in Digital Knowledge Practices

This volume examines how openness is designed, governed, contested and lived in contemporary digital knowledge infrastructures. From open source software and internet standards, to citizen science platforms, public sector data systems and alternative computing practices, the book shows that infrastructures are never neutral technical backbones.

Open Source Beyond Licensing - The Evolution Ahead

Boris Mann's digital garden and personal site.

Some Thoughts on the Open Web

The Open Web means several things to different people, depending on context, but recently discussions have focused on the Web's Openness in terms of access to information -- how easy it is to publish and obtain information without barriers there.

How (Not) to Write a Privacy Law

After many years of failed starts, proposed information privacy legislation has begun moving forward in both houses of Congress. The docket in the recently ended 116th Congress was crowded, with a number of different proposals jostling for attention and no agreement on which deserved to be the front runner. Even so, as the 117th Congress begins, there is growing inside-the-Beltway consensus on the list of features that a successful bill will need to include. This paper critically assesses those zones of emerging consensus.

Open Social Awards | New_ Public

The awards aim to recognize and celebrate the breakthrough products of developers building on the Open Web.