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by justsaysmthng 3628 days ago
A lot of the software runs on open source libraries and applications.

What if the licenses for said libs and applications (eg. GPL or MIT) added stipulations, which forbid the usage of the software in certain circumstances ?

For example: "The library should not be used inside applications which provide backdoors to secret services".

Or

"Not to be used inside weapons or military machines"

Of course this would not necessarily deter the bad guys (governments) , but it would make these attempts technically illegal, which could then be attacked in some civil lawsuit ?
5 comments
pipio21 3628 days ago
It doesn't matter.

Secret services kill people if it is in their country interest. They kidnap and torture(advance interrogation systems). They lie to congressmen and the general public.

They do all this and nothing happens. They are over the law that apply to normal people.

What will happen if they break a license? Nothing.

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secfirstmd 3628 days ago
We actually thought about this with Umbrella App. "If used by a company involved in mass surveillance you agree to pay us 1 billion dollars etc." I don't think it's impossible but it would mess up the usefulness of the GPL/MIT system. Of course, the hard part about any GPL/MIT system etc is the enforcement bit.
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x1798DE 3628 days ago
I think most companies would contract for a home built solution rather than risk bankruptcy, assuming that term was even enforceable.
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secfirstmd 3628 days ago
It was a tongue-in-cheek thought. But it would be interesting to know how many companies of various types regularly break the provisions and spirit of open source licensing.
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mveety 3627 days ago
You could attack them, but attacking a government with the government's justice system is a fool's errand in many countries. It might work in the US and much of Europe, but I feel that in Russia, for example, they would just ignore you or, worst case, eliminate you[1].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Boris_Nemtsov

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dandelion_lover 3627 days ago
>"The library should not be used inside applications which provide backdoors to secret services".

>Or

>"Not to be used inside weapons or military machines"

Some believe it would not be ethical to add such restrictions. See the opinion of RMS on the matter:

https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/programs-must-not-limit-freed...

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zzzcpan 3628 days ago
Nice idea. It won't be useful as a legal tool, but at least it could spread anti-surveillance values.
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