GAFAM versus Free Software Community: Control or Sovereignty

Surely many will drive or have listened the term «GAFAM» and others don't. Basically «GAFAM» is an acronym formed by the initials of the «Gigantes Tecnológicos» of the Internet (Web), that is, «Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon y Microsoft», which in turn, are the top five US companies, which dominate the global digital market, and are sometimes also called the Big Five (The Five).

All these companies were founded between the last quarter of the XNUMXth century and the beginning of the XNUMXst century.. Initially, the word «GAFA», until the «M» de «Microsoft» To the group. Lately, it is usually included «Twitter» in this group. And although these could be direct competencies among themselves, in some IT sectors, they tend to offer different products or services as a whole, without detriment to their common characteristics that make them worthy of being gathered under the same acronym.

Today, and citing the recent statement by Edward Joseph Snowden, former American technology consultant, informant, former employee of the «CIA» and the «NSA», currently living in forced exile in «Moscú», and that is on the eve (Tuesday, 17/09/2019) of the worldwide publication of its book of memories called,«Vigilancia Permanente», what does it say:

"Governments are beginning to delegate their authority to large technology platforms"

We can get an easy idea of ​​how far it is going the power of these giants over governments and societies, a power that even begins to challenge the world financial and banking power, due to its influence over the political powers, the masses and now its early entry into the world of the cryptoassets.

GAFAM

El grupo «GAFAM» Due to their size and origin, they tend to be particularly influential, especially in the digital world associated with the Western Hemisphere, that is, the internet and cyberspace from North America and Europe. And due to their, already mentioned influence or power, both economically, politically and socially, they are regularly the object of criticism or prosecution in tax matters, abuse of dominant positions and non-respect for the privacy of Internet users .

However, other regions of the world already have their own «Gigantes Tecnológicos» local, who begin to have great influence and power over their natural geopolitical area and beyond. For example: Russia have the «Gigantes Tecnológicos»«Yandex y VKontakte», among others, and China have the «Gigantes Tecnológicos»«Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent y Xiaomi», among others like «Huawei».

In addition, these governments and others such as India and some developing nations, have public or mixed IT or Scientific-Military Engineering companies that are beginning to have a lot of influence and world renown. For what reasons or motives like these have merited international actions such as the one undertaken by the «Organización de Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (UNESCO)», in 2014, through A study qualified «Tendencias mundiales de la libertad de expresión y el desarrollo de los medios».

Report explaining how la "privatization of censorship" represents a risk for the free flow of information in the world because:

«A growing control of content on the cybernetic network by intermediaries such as search engines and social networks«.

If the corresponding and necessary actions are not taken by governments and societies, with respect to the power of the «Gigantes Tecnológicos»we would be looking like this«Proceso de privatización del Internet y el Ciberespacio» will occupy a good part of the debate around the limits between what is public and what is private during the first half of the XNUMXst century.

Free Software Communities

Traditionally, as we already know, since the origin of the Movement or the Communities of «Software Libre», these have been a natural counterweight to the growing and excessive power of Corporations of the «Industria del Software» and sometimes even Hardware, although in general, it is a counterweight to everything proprietary and closed at a technological level, due to its elementary philosophical principles on which its principles are based. «4 leyes o principios básicos».

Subject widely debated in the Blog, in previous articles such as: «GNU vs. Google: Google's software is malware","Decentralize the Internet: Decentralized Networks and Autonomous Servers","Cybersecurity, Free Software and GNU / Linux: The Perfect Triad" Y "Computer Privacy and Free Software: Improving our security«.

But, when it comes to specific online communities that help us preserve and / or improve our sovereignty and technological independence, our security and privacy over the Internet, the following are worth mentioning:

• autism
• Confederacy
• Diaspora
• disroot
• Spore
• Federation
• Fediverse
• Framasoft
• friendica
• GNU Social
• common
• Mastodon
• Node 50
• Test tube
• ourproject
• riseup
• social home
• Socialhome HQ
• zotlabs

Conclusion

While it is true, and not encouraging, the fact that possibly the «GAFAM» and other greats «Gigantes Tecnológicos» of the World, continue to grow and expand their influence on Governments and Societies, the correct path to follow for all of us, the members of the Movement and the Free Software Communities, is and must continue to be, to ensure the correct, fair and responsible use of Communications, the Internet, Computer Hardware and Software.

In order to do so, continue contributing to the possibility of guaranteeing a fairer way of life, with laws and technologies adapted to the times, and the spirit of resistance fired by the Free Software Community.

If you wish to expand the topic a little more, we recommend that you read the following external article called «GAFAM already have the right to violate our communications","The unbridled power of the internet giants" Y "GAFAM: a new form of economic institution".

If you liked the article, leave us your comments at the end, so that we can all enrich the reading on the topic raised.