Libertarian Technics

Updated 5 January 2026

This project seeks to find or build tools that empower individuals. The name comes from American radical Murray Bookchin, who counterposed his libertarian technics, which "seeks to create tools of abundance," to authoritarian technics, which are "system-centred, immensely powerful but inherently unstable."Lewis Mumford. Story of Utopia. This means that your personal property, even when it comes to technology, is yours. Having control over your devices, such as the ability to replace your cell phone's battery, the peace of mind of knowing your communications are only visible to the intended recipients, and the stability of decentralized networks.

Baseband OS

Finding a good phone is nearly impossible, as there is a baseband operating system in almost all cell phones which is "proprietary, closed-source software, developed in-house by the hardware maker" and "often outdated and full of insecure, legacy functionality."Anthony, Sebastian. "The Secret Second Operating System That Could Make Every Mobile Phone Insecure." Extreme Tech. 13 November 2013. Purism has done a magnificent job of separating the CPU from the baseband, and of ensuring encrypted communications out of the box.

Centralized Internet

To some extent, centralization of Internet services is unavoidable. The physical infrastructure is still largely expensive and long-lasting, and underground installations ought to be democratized as much as possible. We can also build alternate networks that aren't burdened with the same characteristics.

Devices designed with unnecessarily irreplaceable parts

Phones and tablets are built without replaceable batteries.

Corporations collecting and selling your data

Corporations build social media platforms to sell or otherwise use your information for their profit.