Embracing the UN Open Source Principles: Why the Digital Freedom Foundation Endorses this Important Initiative

The Digital Freedom Foundation (DFF) proudly endorses the UN Open Source Principles. As longtime advocates for software freedom, openness, and privacy, we find these principles deeply aligned with the ideals we have actively promoted for decades.

In March 2025, sixteen organizations, including the Open Source Initiative, united to endorse the UN’s Open Source Principles. These principles serve as practical guidelines for organizations globally to effectively leverage open source solutions to tackle pressing challenges collaboratively and sustainably.

At DFF, we see these principles as a natural and essential evolution of the core values behind software freedom. While the Free Software Foundation originally laid the philosophical groundwork with their foundational four freedoms, the UN Open Source Principles represent a modern, global reaffirmation and extension of those ideals into practical action.

Why These Principles Matter

The Digital Freedom Foundation has been celebrating Software Freedom for decades, talking about openness and transparency, encouraging communities and institutions worldwide to embrace software freedom in practice. The UN Open Source Principles reinforce and expand these values, making software freedom not just a theoretical ideal but a practical necessity.

Let’s explore why each principle is essential, and why the DFF supports them wholeheartedly:

1. Open by Default

“Making Open Source the standard approach for projects.”

For decades, the DFF has advocated openness as the default standard—never as an afterthought. This principle ensures transparency, collaboration, and accountability from the outset, empowering people globally by giving them control over the software that shapes their lives.

2. Contribute Back

“Encouraging active participation in the Open Source ecosystem.”

Active participation sustains communities and accelerates innovation. By endorsing this principle, the DFF emphasizes that software freedom thrives most when everyone participates, contributing their improvements and sharing knowledge freely. We’ve advocated this collaborative spirit since our inception.

3. Secure by Design

“Making security a priority in all software projects.”

Security and freedom go hand-in-hand. Ensuring software is secure by design protects personal privacy and autonomy—principles the DFF has consistently championed. Secure software safeguards freedoms by ensuring reliability and trust in open solutions, especially in critical infrastructure.

4. Foster Inclusive Participation and Community Building

“Enabling and facilitating diverse and inclusive contributions.”

True software freedom is inclusive, welcoming, and empowering for everyone. The DFF has always believed diversity enriches the software ecosystem, fostering creativity, innovation, and fairness. This principle reinforces our longstanding commitment to inclusive collaboration worldwide.

5. Design for Reusability

“Designing projects to be interoperable across various platforms and ecosystems.”

Reusable and interoperable software extends software freedom’s benefits widely. Over the years, the DFF has encouraged practices that reduce duplication and increase interoperability, maximizing resources, and empowering communities to adapt software to their unique contexts effectively.

6. Provide Documentation

“Providing thorough documentation for end-users, integrators, and developers.”

Effective documentation transforms theoretical freedom into practical reality. From our earliest campaigns, DFF has emphasized the importance of accessible documentation as a critical component of real software freedom, ensuring everyone can fully utilize and adapt software, regardless of their expertise.

7. RISE (Recognize, Incentivize, Support, and Empower)

“Empowering individuals and communities to actively participate.”

Empowerment has always been at the heart of DFF’s advocacy. Recognizing and supporting contributors encourages sustained engagement, creating stronger, more vibrant communities. We support this principle as essential for cultivating a lasting culture of software freedom.

8. Sustain and Scale

“Supporting the development of solutions that meet the evolving needs of the UN system and beyond.”

Sustainable and scalable solutions ensure software freedom remains relevant and resilient. DFF’s longstanding commitment to fostering solutions capable of evolving with user needs aligns directly with this principle, ensuring freedom is future-proofed and impactful.

Continuing a Legacy of Software Freedom

The Free Software Foundation originally established the foundational four freedoms of the free software movement. At DFF, we deeply respect and acknowledge this philosophical groundwork:

• Freedom 0: Freedom to run software for any purpose.

• Freedom 1: Freedom to study and modify software.

• Freedom 2: Freedom to redistribute copies.

• Freedom 3: Freedom to distribute modified versions.

The UN Open Source Principles, which DFF endorses, beautifully build upon these fundamental ideals, translating them into practical, actionable steps suitable for global adoption. They reflect precisely the values and practical goals the DFF has advocated and promoted for decades.

Why the DFF Proudly Endorses These Principles

For decades, the Digital Freedom Foundation has promoted openness, transparency, collaboration, and inclusivity in software. The UN Open Source Principles perfectly align with our mission and serve as a valuable global acknowledgment of software freedom’s power to address the world’s most pressing challenges.

By endorsing these principles, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing software freedom in meaningful, practical ways, supporting communities globally in their quest for digital autonomy, innovation, and empowerment.

Join us in embracing these principles. Together, let’s ensure software freedom continues to thrive for generations to come.

We’d love your thoughts and perspectives. Reach out and join the conversation to support software freedom everywhere!