Stand Up for This Critical Right to Repair Petition - Free and Open Source BIOS/UEFI!
chng.it
1 signatures are needed, let’s get there by the end of the day?

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/11498663

Hello everyone,

In the wake of the recent Right to Repair Act (SB 244) enacted in California on October 10, 2023, the discourse around consumer rights and sustainable technological practices has intensified. A critical facet of this discourse is the BIOS/UEFI (Basic Input/Output System/Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), the fundamental firmware that initializes the hardware during the boot process of our computing devices.

Currently, BIOS/UEFI is largely under proprietary control, posing substantial barriers to our ability to repair, upgrade, and exercise full control over our own devices. This proprietary dominance not only stifles technological innovation and user freedom but also raises serious security concerns. The lack of transparency and verifiability inherent in closed-source firmware like Intel’s Management Engine (IME) and AMD’s Platform Security Processor (PSP) presents potential security vulnerabilities.

I am launching a petition on Change.org to advocate for Free and Open Source BIOS/UEFI. This initiative transcends personal control over our devices. It symbolizes a stride towards reducing electronic waste, promoting sustainability, and nurturing a culture where technology serves as a medium for empowerment rather than suppression.

The necessity for freedom in hardware firmware is clear. Open BIOS/UEFI furnishes a foundational level of control and understanding, dismantling barriers that keep users distanced from the core operations of their devices, and fostering a more inclusive and participatory technological ecosystem.

We are at a pivotal moment. The momentum nurtured by the Right to Repair movement invites us to extend the principles of openness and user empowerment to the foundational firmware of our devices. Our proactive stance today significantly influences our digital autonomy tomorrow.

The global advocacy for digital rights is reaching a crucial point, with a growing community rallying for more control, transparency, and accountability in the technology we use daily. The shift towards a more open and user-centric technological landscape is not just a fleeting trend, but a substantial movement that echoes the broader societal values of autonomy, privacy, and democratic engagement.

This petition endeavors to rally tech industry stakeholders and governmental bodies to advocate for the liberation of BIOS/UEFI from proprietary control. With open BIOS/UEFI, we inch closer to a technological landscape that aligns with democratic values, ensuring that technology serves the collective, not just a privileged few.

I invite you to sign the petition, disseminate it within your networks, and vocalize your support for a more open, sustainable, and democratically-aligned computing environment.

Together, through a shared vision and collective action, we can usher meaningful change in the technological domain.

Thank you for your support.

  • crandleiscious@lemmy.world
    201·
    1 year ago

    I ain’t gonna code for it lmao

    I wish it existed though 👍

    Edit: Devices with open BIOS/UEFI already exist, but nobody buys them. Check out System76 or Librem or NovaCustom or one of the many other places that sell devices with Coreboot on them.

    Unfortunately, most customers care more about cheap laptops than they do about open laptops. If you sign this petition, also prove to computer manufacturers that there is demand for these devices by buying a computer with existing open bootloader support! There are even devices out there with the Intel ME pre-sabotaged so it can’t do anything harmful.

    It should be noted that there is an open source UEFI implementation that is at the basis of many UEFI firmware packages; however, manufacturers often need to customise the open source part to make it work on their specific hardware configuration.

    • OrwellianPenguin@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      24·
      1 year ago

      Libreboot is available for some devices, but this petition aims to make free BIOS accessible to a wider range of people. Your support can help make this happen! 👍

  • Pantherina@feddit.de
    9·
    1 year ago

    Great! We already have all the Coreboot Distros, and Google proofed that you can have actual security by using this Bios. Even though again they use it for bullshit hardware and software that is not repairable or modifiable

    • OrwellianPenguin@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      10·
      1 year ago

      GlaBIOS does all you need.

      While GlaBIOS is a positive initiative, the goal of open and user-controlled BIOS/UEFI requires a broader ecosystem of solutions. It’s about offering multiple choices for users who value transparency and control over their hardware.