Ars Technica writes about WikiLeaks' release of 17 secret documents from the negotiations of the global Trade in Services Agreement (TISA). If their interpretation is correct,
the EU would be forbidden from requiring that US companies like Google or Facebook keep the personal data of European citizens within the EU
and
Article 6 of the leaked text seems to ban any country from using free software mandates: "No Party may require the transfer of, or access to, source code of software owned by a person of another Party, as a condition of providing services related to such software in its territory."
What more nasty surprises will these negotiations bring?
(Score: 1) by Refugee from beyond on Saturday June 06 2015, @05:01AM
Translation: We spent such a great deal of $s to write those backdoors. We want them to work, dammit.
Instantly better soylentnews: replace background on article and comment titles with #973131.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by timbojones on Saturday June 06 2015, @05:14AM
I wasn't aware that FOSS was owned by any person of any party.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by frojack on Saturday June 06 2015, @06:44AM
Yeah, I don't think that paragraph says what the tin foil crowd thinks it says.
"No Party may require the transfer of, or access to, source code of software owned by a person of another Party, as a condition of providing services related to such software in its territory."
Says to me that France (say) can't compel a source code from Microsoft in exchange for allowing Microsoft sell in France.
Doesn't say France can't use Linux of FreeBSD,
Doesn't say France can't mandate Only Linux, without mandating anything with regard to source code, knowing full well it is available.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 06 2015, @09:15AM
Translation: We spent such a great deal of $s to write those backdoors. We want them to
workstay hidden, dammit.(Score: 1) by dingus on Saturday June 06 2015, @10:33PM
Yes, this seems to me to look like a case of corporations attacking other corporations. Nothing to do with FOSS.