WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:11.000 All right, I am delighted to introduce my friend Sandra, who has also added a couple of 00:11.000 --> 00:16.000 extra decorations to the stage for the afternoon to remind us of some of the other organizations. 00:16.000 --> 00:20.000 This is a community, a real community effort, and as we know, especially here in Europe, 00:20.000 --> 00:26.000 there's been a lot of efforts to talk to different organizations, so excited to hear 00:26.000 --> 00:28.000 us talk, thank you. 00:28.000 --> 00:30.000 Hi. 00:30.000 --> 00:42.000 It's a great pleasure of mine to speak here today at first, I see familiar phrases and I see new 00:42.000 --> 00:46.000 ones and welcome everybody. 00:46.000 --> 00:53.000 So, yeah, I'm especially delighted to be here because I will speak about political things, 00:53.000 --> 01:00.000 and I hope that's all right for you, and I think it's necessary. 01:00.000 --> 01:08.000 So, it would be about the social web and digital sovereignty, as I have heard before today. 01:08.000 --> 01:17.000 Yeah, I would like to speak about why and how I, but also built with other social advocacy networks 01:17.000 --> 01:22.000 in and for Europe, and I think that's necessary. 01:22.000 --> 01:27.000 So, hi, I'm Sandra, I live in Berlin in Vienna. 01:27.000 --> 01:34.000 By education, I'm a competitive working scientist, but I also worked in the policy field, so 01:34.000 --> 01:39.000 that's like my glasses, I look to the fettivers. 01:39.000 --> 01:47.000 But what is really important to me is the 15 years I work together with others to advocate for 01:47.000 --> 01:50.000 digital rights and open technologies. 01:51.000 --> 01:54.000 Yes. So, why do I do this? 01:54.000 --> 01:58.000 Well, because I care and it brings me joy. 01:58.000 --> 02:05.000 It brings me joy to build together with other people meaningful structures. 02:05.000 --> 02:10.000 So, yeah, I hope that's visible. 02:10.000 --> 02:17.000 Yeah, so, and building meaningful events, I would like to speak about Berlin's fettie day, 02:17.000 --> 02:21.000 actually by now it's a whole weekend. 02:21.000 --> 02:25.000 And, yeah, our journey starts there. 02:25.000 --> 02:30.000 It's by now, as far as I know, the biggest new life event on the fettivers. 02:30.000 --> 02:37.000 If you have missed it unfortunately, you will be able to rewatch all of our talks on our fettie 02:37.000 --> 02:44.000 account of digital society, the Digital Gesellschaft and German, and if you miss the opportunity 02:44.000 --> 02:50.000 to take fettie drinks, for example, you could have drank in a Macedon, a friendly car, a peer tube, 02:50.000 --> 02:52.000 an on-cast or a miskey. 02:52.000 --> 02:57.000 So, please take out all your calendars. 02:57.000 --> 03:05.000 If you want to join us this year, it's the 11th to 13th of September in Berlin. 03:05.000 --> 03:13.000 So, September 11th to 13th would love to have you all there as possible. 03:13.000 --> 03:17.000 So, one goal for fettie day was actually to get the political debate going on. 03:17.000 --> 03:22.000 And we can do that with talks like today and elsewhere. 03:22.000 --> 03:33.000 And the idea of many of those talks there was that we need to state that public digital infrastructure 03:33.000 --> 03:40.000 is already there, and we need to make more usage out of it. 03:41.000 --> 03:44.000 Sorry, I slept way to last night. 03:44.000 --> 03:53.000 So, with nearly no budget, eight months of hard work and a bunch of voluntary people working very hard for this, 03:53.000 --> 03:56.000 I think we made a difference. 03:56.000 --> 04:06.000 So, a lot of folks from Berlin are watching us at the livestream, so it would be nice if you can give them a warm applause for all of the work. 04:10.000 --> 04:19.000 So, already before fettie day, there was the so-called European summit on digital sovereignty announced, 04:19.000 --> 04:25.000 and that took place on the 18th of November last year in Berlin. 04:25.000 --> 04:35.000 And as you can see from the announced program, unfortunately, the concept of digital sovereignty is very narrowly focused, 04:35.000 --> 04:40.000 and social networks were not even a topic, nothing there. 04:40.000 --> 04:47.000 So, when I saw this, yeah, I was a little bit, I thought, what can we do about it, 04:47.000 --> 04:54.000 to bring our political demands and our concept and our broadening concept of digital sovereignty? 04:54.000 --> 05:02.000 What can we do to bring it to the table and to let the decision makers know what exists already, right? 05:03.000 --> 05:10.000 So, that was the reason why I tried to found this open networks alliance. 05:10.000 --> 05:14.000 I want to speak about, so, yeah. 05:14.000 --> 05:23.000 Because what we see right now, probably here third of it, what happens now in the debate about digital sovereignty, 05:23.000 --> 05:28.000 that national member states of the European Union all come up with their national stakes. 05:28.000 --> 05:33.000 So, we have a German stack, the French, doing the same thing, 05:33.000 --> 05:39.000 and also we have a debate about different ideas about so-called euro stacks. 05:39.000 --> 05:50.000 And, yeah, I think it's a mistake to copy the same structural difficulties, 05:50.000 --> 05:54.000 but just make them European and then call that digital sovereignty. 05:54.000 --> 06:03.000 I think that's way to narrow, and that's not a successful concept to challenge and to find solutions, 06:03.000 --> 06:08.000 long-term solutions for challenges that we need to address. 06:08.000 --> 06:12.000 Yeah. 06:12.000 --> 06:20.000 So, instead, what I think and what's in the spirit of the alliance as well, 06:20.000 --> 06:28.000 are those three points I would like to make that transport hour values, I think more. 06:28.000 --> 06:35.000 So, just make it European is not enough, definitely not, that doesn't make sense. 06:35.000 --> 06:42.000 And, if they buy stuff, they need to make sure it's at least open as well. 06:42.000 --> 06:46.000 Just to have national stakes, that brings us way back 150 years ago. 06:46.000 --> 06:50.000 We had that wasn't working, we shouldn't do that again. 06:50.000 --> 06:55.000 The second thing is, if public money is to be spent and some of you will notice already, 06:55.000 --> 07:02.000 then public digital infrastructure such as open social networks, of course, must be funded as well. 07:02.000 --> 07:10.000 How is the idea even thinkable that they put public money and spend it into European private companies? 07:10.000 --> 07:16.000 That's like, yeah, not a very well thought, I think. 07:16.000 --> 07:21.000 And then the third point is open social networks, of course, should be a key part of achieving 07:21.000 --> 07:23.000 real digital sovereignty, right? 07:23.000 --> 07:25.000 Where shall we have our political debates? 07:25.000 --> 07:31.000 Where shall people get informed about who they want to elect or not? 07:31.000 --> 07:36.000 That needs to be happening in open social networks. 07:36.000 --> 07:43.000 Yeah, so please check out Hannah's blog post about social sovereignty. 07:43.000 --> 07:44.000 Yes. 07:44.000 --> 07:52.000 So, yeah. 07:52.000 --> 07:59.000 This is my slide where I would like to show to politicians decision makers to make them aware 07:59.000 --> 08:04.000 that actually we have a stack of our own which is open, 08:04.000 --> 08:07.000 which is comments orientated, right? 08:07.000 --> 08:13.000 We have different hardware, we have operating systems that are all open and that bring benefit 08:13.000 --> 08:14.000 to all of us. 08:14.000 --> 08:21.000 And of course, interoperable social networks are part of this, right? 08:21.000 --> 08:22.000 Yeah. 08:22.000 --> 08:25.000 So, coming back to our alliance. 08:25.000 --> 08:33.000 So, after Berlin 30-day, I got together some friends of other organizations working on this topic as well. 08:33.000 --> 08:38.000 And three weeks later, we came up with a policy paper. 08:38.000 --> 08:47.000 And three pages where we explain in detail our four demands and say exactly what needs to be changed 08:47.000 --> 08:52.000 in the law and why, so to make it very easy to take it. 08:52.000 --> 09:00.000 I do have to say like our long paper is translated in German French and English, but like if we would have more time, 09:00.000 --> 09:09.000 it would be my goal to come up with demands more specific to the French case as well and for the European Union level, 09:09.000 --> 09:11.000 but we just didn't have enough time. 09:11.000 --> 09:18.000 So, that's the reason by those demands are most of them directed to the German case. 09:18.000 --> 09:19.000 Yeah. 09:19.000 --> 09:27.000 But you can see, we have four demands to have them are directly connected to the Fedivers and yeah. 09:27.000 --> 09:33.000 Please check out the work page because I don't have that much time right now to explain it in detail. 09:33.000 --> 09:37.000 But in order to be professional, right, what do we do? 09:37.000 --> 09:42.000 You present the press conference where people can take and we explain what our demands are. 09:42.000 --> 09:43.000 We did that. 09:43.000 --> 09:51.000 You can watch that video and we have a lot of European subtitles so you can watch it in your own native language if you want to. 09:51.000 --> 09:55.000 And then we were very likely to have test coverage as well. 09:55.000 --> 09:58.000 This one is from netspolitic.org. 09:58.000 --> 10:07.000 The German speaking people will notice and they covered our demands in a very detailed way which I'm very proud of as well. 10:07.000 --> 10:08.000 So yeah. 10:08.000 --> 10:12.000 And then the day of the summit came right. 10:12.000 --> 10:19.000 And it may seem not as a big thing, but for me it was a big success to get representatives there. 10:19.000 --> 10:27.000 Because like there were a thousand people and the battle to say to get an official invitation was a tough one. 10:27.000 --> 10:32.000 So just to be there was always a success. 10:32.000 --> 10:33.000 Yeah. 10:33.000 --> 10:45.000 So you can see Felix, from Macedon Lili, from Wikimedia Germany, Bianca doing great work for Innovations for Band of Necheguzuntite and that's me. 10:45.000 --> 10:51.000 And as you would have guessed from the program, our topics were not present. 10:51.000 --> 10:59.000 We tried to speak with a lot of politicians and different stakeholders in the halls as well. 10:59.000 --> 11:05.000 I wrote a whole blog post about how we see that event. 11:05.000 --> 11:12.000 But like the too long version was a missed opportunity to share two digital sovereignty. 11:12.000 --> 11:19.000 So that only means we need to push harder and get working still going on. 11:19.000 --> 11:20.000 So yeah. 11:20.000 --> 11:28.000 So by now, 30 different organizations support our demands and our concept. 11:28.000 --> 11:30.000 Yeah. 11:30.000 --> 11:38.000 And especially in this year, it's very relevant to push further because just to mention two political topics coming up this year. 11:38.000 --> 11:47.000 So in this year, the European Parliament will discuss or is already debating this so-called multi-annual financial framework. 11:47.000 --> 11:50.000 That's more or less the budget of the European Union. 11:50.000 --> 11:53.000 And it needs to be finalized beginning 2027. 11:53.000 --> 11:56.000 So this year, we need to push hard and to be loud. 11:56.000 --> 12:01.000 Because otherwise, if we don't get the money now, we won't get any money in the next four years. 12:01.000 --> 12:05.000 That's the one thing and the other thing is that in spring, the DMA. 12:05.000 --> 12:10.000 So the digital market sector will be reviewed for the first time. 12:10.000 --> 12:18.000 And yeah, it's a big chance to get into operability more spread out and especially for social networks. 12:18.000 --> 12:29.000 And that's a very important fight where I would need all of you to be loud for that one. 12:29.000 --> 12:33.000 Yeah, thanks. 12:33.000 --> 12:38.000 So, I speak too quick. 12:38.000 --> 12:49.000 As a proof of concept and as an invitation to you all, we have a panel coming up tomorrow in a different room. 12:49.000 --> 12:57.000 We're speaking with Alexander Gaze, she's a member of European Parliament for the Green Party. 12:58.000 --> 13:02.000 We were speaking about the Digital Service Act and the Fediverse. 13:02.000 --> 13:09.000 And yeah, Jordan from open source initiative is hosting that panel and we'll moderate us. 13:09.000 --> 13:24.000 And yeah, I think it's a little bit proof of concept for me that if we find structures and if we get together and if we can commit to political demands that are interrelated. 13:24.000 --> 13:29.000 And so therefore make a bigger difference. 13:29.000 --> 13:41.000 We are approachable to politicians, we are approachable for public and non-public events where we can then repeat and repeat and repeat our demands. 13:41.000 --> 13:44.000 And that's what's needed. 13:44.000 --> 13:51.000 Yeah, so I come to the end of my talk. 13:51.000 --> 13:58.000 Whatever your school is, whatever your level of expertise is, please bring it in this year. 13:58.000 --> 14:02.000 We need more shoulders in our community. 14:02.000 --> 14:12.000 And if you have the time and if you have the financial resources, please join us in this effort. 14:12.000 --> 14:18.000 Thanks. 14:18.000 --> 14:20.000 Let us work together and project. 14:20.000 --> 14:23.000 Let us build a little part of the world. 14:23.000 --> 14:26.000 We all want to live in. 14:26.000 --> 14:30.000 And with that, I wish us all a very happy first and weekend. 14:30.000 --> 14:37.000 Let's create some memories and make us a difference in this world. 14:37.000 --> 14:38.000 Great. 14:38.000 --> 14:40.000 What a great message. 14:40.000 --> 14:41.000 I love that. 14:41.000 --> 14:43.000 We need more shoulders. 14:43.000 --> 14:44.000 I think that's exactly right. 14:44.000 --> 14:46.000 We need to work together on this. 14:46.000 --> 14:47.000 So thank you. 14:47.000 --> 14:49.000 We have time for a couple of questions. 14:49.000 --> 14:51.000 If that's okay, Sandra. 14:51.000 --> 14:57.000 There's, I thought I saw a hand going up. 14:57.000 --> 14:59.000 Oh, yes, over there. 14:59.000 --> 15:01.000 Let me come around, sorry. 15:01.000 --> 15:16.000 Excuse me. 15:16.000 --> 15:22.320 Let me say, in the meantime, I have some girl in 30 days stickers, which I will put 15:22.320 --> 15:32.320 on. 15:32.320 --> 15:35.320 Thank you so much for doing this and I really appreciate you saying that we need to change 15:35.320 --> 15:36.320 and we need to. 15:36.320 --> 15:38.320 Sorry, I can't hear you very. 15:38.320 --> 15:40.320 Sorry, can you hear me now? 15:40.320 --> 15:45.320 Yeah, I'm just saying great presentation and thank you for saying everything you said. 15:45.320 --> 15:49.320 I just want to understand as you said, we need more shoulders, right? 15:49.320 --> 15:51.320 How can we contribute like in a meaningful way? 15:51.320 --> 15:52.320 Yeah. 15:52.320 --> 15:55.320 As developers are in general. 15:55.320 --> 16:02.320 Yeah, like if we really have time and focus if you're connected to other organizations, 16:02.320 --> 16:10.320 like I'm really looking forward to all connections to all member states, 16:10.320 --> 16:15.320 because I think like we need to get our networks more close. 16:15.320 --> 16:20.320 It is part of us, but like if you are connected to organizations and 16:20.320 --> 16:26.320 in France, for example, I'm Poland, I like more central and eastern European countries. 16:26.320 --> 16:32.320 Please let us speak or put them forward to us. 16:32.320 --> 16:39.320 On an individual level, both organizations and individual level, please read the policy paper. 16:39.320 --> 16:45.320 You can share our share picks and get in contact if possible. 16:45.320 --> 16:49.320 There are advocacy lobbying rules with just the wise. 16:49.320 --> 16:54.320 If you are allowed to write to a politician or not, like there's some bureaucratic things. 16:54.320 --> 16:59.320 But like, speak as often as possible to your political representatives and say, 16:59.320 --> 17:02.320 we need money, we want support. 17:02.320 --> 17:06.320 There are existing already existing open social networks. 17:06.320 --> 17:07.320 We don't need to build them. 17:07.320 --> 17:10.320 There are already there and please make use of them. 17:10.320 --> 17:16.320 And make sure that interoperable social networks can do their magic, right? 17:16.320 --> 17:21.320 So that will be possibilities for supporting us. 17:21.320 --> 17:23.320 Thanks so much. 17:23.320 --> 17:24.320 All right. 17:24.320 --> 17:25.320 Thank you, Sandra.