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technological-neutrality.html (6300B)

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 <title>Technological Neutrality and Free Software
 - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
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 <h2>Technological Neutrality and Free Software</h2>
 
 <address class="byline">by <a href="https://www.stallman.org/">Richard
 Stallman</a></address>
 
 <p>Proprietary developers arguing against laws to move towards free
 software often claim this violates the principle of
 &ldquo;technological neutrality.&rdquo;  The conclusion is wrong, but
 where is the error?</p>
 
 <p>Technological neutrality is the principle that the state should not
 impose preferences for or against specific kinds of technology.  For
 example, there should not be a rule that specifies whether state
 agencies should use solid state memory or magnetic disks, or whether
 they should use GNU/Linux or BSD.  Rather, the agency should let
 bidders propose any acceptable technology as part of their solutions,
 and choose the best/cheapest offer by the usual rules.</p>
 
 <p>The principle of technological neutrality is valid, but it has
 limits.  Some kinds of technology are harmful; they may pollute air or
 water, encourage antibiotic resistance, abuse their users, abuse the
 workers that make them, or cause massive unemployment.  These should
 be taxed, regulated, discouraged, or even banned.</p>
 
 <p>The principle of technological neutrality applies only to purely
 technical decisions.  It is not &ldquo;ethical neutrality&rdquo; or
 &ldquo;social neutrality&rdquo;; it does not apply to decisions about
 ethical and social issues&mdash;such as the choice between free
 software and proprietary software.</p>
 
 <p>For instance, when the state adopts a policy of migrating to free
 software in order to restore the computing sovereignty of the country
 and lead the people towards freedom and cooperation, this isn't a
 technical preference.  This is an ethical, social and political
 policy, not a technological policy.  The state is not supposed to be
 neutral about maintaining the people's freedom or encouraging
 cooperation.  It is not supposed to be neutral about maintaining or
 recovering its sovereignty.</p>
 
 <p>It is the state's duty to insist that the software in its public
 agencies respect the computing sovereignty of the country, and that
 the software taught in its schools educate its students in freedom and
 cooperation.  The state must insist on free software, exclusively, in
 <a href="/philosophy/government-free-software.html">public
 agencies</a> and in <a href="/education/edu-schools.html">
 education</a>.  The state has the responsibility to maintain control
 of its computing, so it must not surrender that control to <a
 href="/philosophy/who-does-that-server-really-serve.html">Service as
 a Software Substitute</a>.  In addition, the <a
 href="/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html">state must not
 reveal to companies the personal data</a> that it maintains about
 citizens.</p>
 
 <p>When no ethical imperatives apply to a certain technical decision,
 it can be left to the domain of technological neutrality.</p>
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 <p>Copyright &copy; 2014, 2021 Free Software Foundation, Inc.</p>
 
 <p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license"
 href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">Creative
 Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.</p>
 
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