163 points by edent 3 days ago | 138 comments on HN
| Moderate positive Mission · v3.7· 2026-02-28 11:36:16 0
Summary Political Participation Advocates
This page announces F-Droid's 2026 Board of Directors nominations, opening the selection process to self and community nominations. The content strongly advocates for democratic participation (Article 21), non-discrimination (Article 2), and freedom of expression/assembly (Articles 19–20) through transparent, inclusive governance structures including public video conferences, accessible email-based nomination mechanisms, explicit diversity commitments, and reasonable accommodations. Coverage is narrowly focused on governance with no engagement on socioeconomic or cultural rights beyond FOSS technology participation.
If I’m charitable, I could assume they intended to make a controversial move to drive public attention to the growing government restrictions on innocuous apps. As far as I know, though, nobody at F-Droid admitted to this; and if they were, why didn’t they mark other widely used apps like Wikipedia and Reddit frontends that provide easy access to much more sexually explicit content in the same protest?
If I’m less charitable, and go by what F-Droid admins actually said, they took this action out of a sincere belief that these apps contained content unsafe for minors that necessitated flagging, and sincerely believed that Wikipedia and Reddit frontends somehow don’t qualify for the same. If they honestly believed this, it demonstrates (to me) poor judgment; and since the action was walked back almost immediately due to negative public response, that indicates further that they never actually believed this in the first place, and that instead somebody took it upon himself to specifically target religious apps out of his own bias.
Either way, it really soured me on the judgment of the F-Droid maintainers. After a stunt like that, I no longer trust them to fight the battle against oppressive government restrictions on operating systems effectively. Formerly an F-Droid user of many years, this caused me to switch away completely: I’ve started donating monthly to Accrescent instead, download as many apps as I can from there, and switched from F-Droid to Obtanium for any apps not yet on Accrescent.
As of now, Google isn't destroying non-Google android installs, so F-droid will still work there (correct me if wrong). So until Google takes android fully closed or succeeds in getting popular/necessary apps to blacklist non-Google-verified devices, F-droid still has a role
I hope so. The changes can mean two things: people can only use it easily in custom roms (I guess there is an overlap there) or they actually would play with Google: i guess technically they could as well register and sign the stuff with a Google key as the software is all FOSS and would allow defining another responsible developer (otherwise Google would have to through out all FOSS without CLA from their playstore). I guess quitting would be an option, but IMHO the outrage outside the bubble would probably be hardly noticable, so what would be the point?
Even with Google's changes, F-Droid will continue to work with Android phones that do not use Google GMS.
If you care about your actually owning your device, install something else than stock OS. I would recommend GrapheneOS, since the security of some/most other alternatives is pretty bad.
She lusted after lovers with genitals as large as a donkey’s and emissions like those of a horse. 21 And so, Oholibah, you relived your former days as a young girl in Egypt, when you first allowed your breasts to be fondled.
Just recalling from memory, Linus Torvalds wasn't making a free and open source kernel at first. He was making a kernel yes, but he attended a Richard Stallman speech where Stallman introduced GNU and expressed that he needed a kernel cause AT&T was cracking down on Unix clones. And Linus was moved by that enough to change gears and renamed the project to Linus Unix aka Linux. Anyone who remembers better or has sources, correct me below, I'm writing from memory. My point is though that Linus wasn't originally intending to make a free and open source kernel.
My reading is they were simply trying to comply with regulations. It wasn't about what ideas they believed the religious texts were trying to convey, but whether their content met a certain definition set by law. The law could be poorly written, or it could be poorly and over-cautiously interpreted by F-Droid maintainers. But I didn't get the feeling they were acting on any kind of moral judgement or own belief about what's appropriate for children.
Does the Bible encourage violence or promiscuity? Not really, no. Does it mention and describe those things in some detail? Yes, absolutely. If that's the kind of content you need to remove from your store, then obviously you need to remove the Bible from your store. Whether that was really the case seems questionable at best, but the stated logic seemed pretty coherent to me.
> a sincere belief that these apps contained content unsafe for minors
Hey I believe that too. If people are entitled to believe whatever is written in those books, surely people are also entitled to believe it's nonsense and actively harmful.
Even mainstream religions are seen at brainwashing cults by many people and my guess is it was something along these lines. They thought they were contributing to the greater good by keeping people from being indoctrinated into a cult. I don't agree but I've seen many self-proclaimed atheists make such statements.
Directly implements political participation: 'Nominations are now open.' 'You may nominate yourself or someone else.' Current directors vote with weighting in favor of new candidates. Periodic annual voting.
FW Ratio: 63%
Observable Facts
The page states 'Nominations are now open for this year's appointments.'
'You may nominate yourself or someone else (with their permission).'
The 'current directors will vote on each nominee.'
'Existing directors are permitted to run for an additional term.'
The deadline for nominations is explicitly stated (March 16, AoE).
Inferences
The nomination and voting mechanism directly implements Article 21's right to political participation.
Self-nomination language empowers direct participation in governance selection.
The periodic voting (annual) and candidate weighting system reflect democratic principles.
Explicitly states candidates are welcome 'from all backgrounds' with no experience requirements, directly affirming equal dignity regardless of background.
FW Ratio: 60%
Observable Facts
The page states 'we seek candidates from all backgrounds.'
No experience requirements are listed: 'Nominees don't have to have experience in software development.'
The page affirms all candidates have equal consideration based on merit.
Inferences
The stated principle that 'candidates from all backgrounds' are welcome reflects commitment to Article 1's equal dignity.
Removing experience barriers emphasizes equal access to the nomination process.
Explicitly seeks a diverse board with no mention of any exclusionary criteria based on protected characteristics. Nominators can be anyone with permission.
FW Ratio: 60%
Observable Facts
The page explicitly seeks a 'diverse board.'
No exclusionary criteria based on protected characteristics (age, gender, race, religion, etc.) are mentioned.
The announcement welcomes self-nomination and peer nomination without restriction.
Inferences
Explicit diversity language signals commitment to Article 2's non-discrimination principle.
The absence of exclusionary criteria supports non-discriminatory practice.
Directors must 'communicate with F-Droid contributors and users' in public forums. F-Droid's mission affirms 'freedoms of computer users.' Content governance is expression-based.
FW Ratio: 60%
Observable Facts
Directors are required to 'communicate with F-Droid contributors and users.'
Board communication happens 'in threads on GitLab or the F-Droid Forum.'
F-Droid's mission affirms 'freedoms of computer users,' inherently related to expression.
Inferences
The emphasis on communication with community reflects commitment to Article 19's freedom of expression.
Public forum participation (GitLab, Forum) enables expression in governance.
Board governance is explicitly described as participatory assembly. Monthly video conferences are 'open to the general public.' Nomination process enables free association.
FW Ratio: 60%
Observable Facts
The page states the Board 'holds a monthly video conference which lasts one hour and is open to the general public.'
Directors are expected to participate in governance discussions and vote.
Community members can nominate and engage in the governance process.
Inferences
The public monthly video conference enables peaceful assembly in governance.
Nomination and voting processes affirm right to associate in governance.
Content affirms human dignity and equal rights through emphasis on inclusive, diverse board selection. Mission statement references freedoms and rights of computer users.
FW Ratio: 60%
Observable Facts
The page announces a nomination process for board membership.
The process emphasizes a 'diverse board' and welcomes 'candidates from all backgrounds.'
The site is multilingual with 30+ language options shown in footer.
Inferences
The emphasis on diversity and inclusion affirms the UDHR Preamble's principle of human dignity and equal rights.
The multilingual site structure enables global participation consistent with universal human rights principles.
Directors 'must follow the F-Droid Code of Conduct' and 'exemplify high standards.' Clear articulation of community duties and ethical responsibilities.
FW Ratio: 60%
Observable Facts
The page states 'Directors must follow the F-Droid Code of Conduct.'
Directors must 'exemplify high standards in the F-Droid community.'
Directors are required to 'respond promptly if a vote is called.'
Inferences
Code of Conduct requirement affirms directors' duties to the community.
The emphasis on 'high standards' reflects Article 29's principle of reciprocal duties.
Fair hearing described: board votes on nominees after deliberation; process is transparent with announced results. Weighted voting in favor of new candidates signals fairness.
FW Ratio: 60%
Observable Facts
The page states 'the current directors will vote on each nominee.'
Voting is 'weighted in favour of new candidates.'
The page announces 'our intention is to decide on the appointments as early as the 19th of March and announce the selected candidates.'
Inferences
The voting mechanism and transparent announcement provide a fair hearing for nominee consideration.
The weighting system signals fairness by explicitly advantaging new perspectives.
F-Droid's mission centers on 'freedoms of computer users,' relating to technology and FOSS cultural participation. Board membership enables engagement in this culture.
FW Ratio: 67%
Observable Facts
F-Droid's mission explicitly centers on 'freedoms of computer users,' relating to technology and FOSS culture.
Board membership enables participation in a significant FOSS project.
Inferences
Board participation in F-Droid represents engagement in technological and scientific culture.
No ideological or belief-based restrictions mentioned for nominees. Welcomes candidates 'committed to furthering freedoms of computer users' without imposing specific beliefs.
FW Ratio: 67%
Observable Facts
No ideological or belief-based restrictions are stated for nominees.
The page welcomes nominees 'committed to furthering the freedoms of computer users.'
Inferences
The absence of religious or ideological exclusions respects freedom of conscience.
build 1ad9551+j7zs · deployed 2026-03-02 09:09 UTC · evaluated 2026-03-02 13:57:54 UTC
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