Petition: Open-Source Work Should Be Recognized as Voluntary Service

Author: Marek Lindlein
Source: ComputerBase
Publication Date: 28.11.2025
Summary Reading Time: 4 minutes

Executive Summary

A new petition demands recognition of open-source development as voluntary service—a long-overdue step toward securing critical digital infrastructure. While the state invests billions in digitalization, the unpaid developers who maintain foundations like Linux, Nginx, or MariaDB remain largely unprotected and unacknowledged. Recognition as voluntary service would enable tax relief, liability clarity, and simplified donation structures—and could cost-effectively provide Germany with greater digital sovereignty without creating new dependencies on tech giants.

Critical Key Questions

Digital Infrastructure as Commons: How long can a highly developed economy afford to leave critical system components to volunteer work without ensuring legal and financial protection?
Sovereignty vs. Market Logic: Can recognition as voluntary service actually create independence from global tech corporations—or does it merely obscure the state's responsibility to systematically invest in open-source ecosystems?
Liability and Responsibility: What risks arise when volunteers work on security-critical software without clear liability regulations—and who bears the consequences in security incidents like the XZ backdoor attack?

Scenario Analysis: Future Perspectives

Short-term (1 year):
The petition reaches 30,000 signatures and is submitted to the Petitions Committee. Initial political debates about recognition begin, but without immediate legislative changes. Individual federal states or municipalities could launch pilot projects to support open-source developers.

Medium-term (5 years):
Upon successful implementation, tax incentives and legal clarity for open-source developers emerge. Non-profit organizations around critical projects establish themselves, donations flow more strategically. Germany could position itself as a pioneer for state-supported open-source infrastructure—with measurable effects on digital sovereignty and resilience.

Long-term (10–20 years):
Open-source development becomes established as a socially recognized activity, comparable to fire departments or emergency services. European standards for promoting and securing FOSS projects emerge. However: without accompanying measures, pseudo-sovereignty threatens if dependencies on US cloud providers or Chinese hardware suppliers persist.

Main Summary

Core Topic & Context

The petition, running since November 24, 2025, demands legal recognition of open-source work as voluntary service. Initiated by Boris Hinzer, it aims to equate unpaid work on public-benefit software with the rights and duties of traditional voluntary services. The background is the massive dependency of digital infrastructure on open-source projects, which are largely sustained through voluntary, unpaid work—without legal protection or state recognition.

Key Facts & Figures

30,000 signatures needed for submission to the Bundestag's Petitions Committee
Collection period: 6 months (until April 2026)
Critical infrastructure: Linux, Nginx, MariaDB, and numerous other projects form the foundation of internet infrastructure
XZ attack 2024: Exemplifies the security relevance and vulnerability of open-source projects
Benefits of recognition: Tax-free expense allowances, simplified non-profit status, liability clarity, donation receipts
[⚠️ To verify]: Concrete figures on the number of German open-source developers or economic value creation are missing

Stakeholders & Affected Parties

Open-source developers: Individuals who work unpaid on critical software in their spare time
Companies: Red Hat, SUSE, and other firms that finance or use open-source projects
Public administration: State and municipalities that depend on open-source software (health, energy, education, security)
Tech corporations: Global software giants could lose market power through strengthened open-source ecosystems
Civil society: Users who benefit from secure, transparent, and independent software

Opportunities & Risks

Opportunities:

Cost-effective digital sovereignty: Recognition as voluntary service could strengthen existing structures without investing billions in proprietary solutions
Legal certainty: Clarity on liability issues and tax relief for developers
Innovation promotion: Better financing opportunities through donations and non-profit status
Resilience: Independence from global tech corporations in critical areas

Risks:

Symbolic politics instead of substance: Recognition could obscure structural underfunding without replacing genuine investments
Liability trap: Volunteers could become more legally vulnerable in security incidents if liability regulations remain unclear
Lack of professionalization: Open-source projects also need full-time, well-paid developers—not just volunteers
Dependencies remain: Without accompanying measures (hardware, cloud, standards), digital sovereignty remains an illusion

Action Relevance

For decision-makers in politics and administration:

Act now: The petition offers a low-threshold opportunity to strengthen digital sovereignty without billion-dollar investments
Review legislation: Examine voluntary service laws for compatibility with open-source work; clarify liability issues
Secure financing: Recognition as voluntary service must not mean the state withdraws from funding

For companies:

Take responsibility: Firms that benefit from open-source should systematically invest in projects—not only through code but also through direct support
Create transparency: Disclose which open-source projects are business-critical and actively support their security

For developers:

Support the petition: The signature is a first step toward recognition and protection
Weigh risks: Voluntary activity should not become self-exploitation—professional structures remain necessary

Quality Assurance & Fact-Checking

✅ Petition verified: The petition has been active on openPetition since November 24, 2025
✅ Open-source infrastructure: Linux, Nginx, MariaDB are demonstrably central to the internet
✅ XZ attack: The 2024 incident is documented and shows security gaps in the open-source supply chain
[⚠️ To verify]: No concrete figures on the economic significance of open-source in Germany mentioned in the article
[⚠️ To verify]: Detailed legal implications of voluntary service recognition (liability, insurance, taxes) are missing

Verification Status: ✅ Facts checked on 28.11.2025

Supplementary Research

Recommended sources for deeper analysis:

Open-source security: Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) – Reports on critical infrastructures and open-source risks
Voluntary service legislation: Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth – Current regulations on voluntary service allowances and non-profit status
Digital sovereignty: Bitkom or eco Association – Studies on the economic significance of open-source in Germany

Bibliography

Primary Source:
Petition: Open-Source Work Should Be Recognized as Voluntary Service – ComputerBase, 28.11.2025

Supplementary Sources:

openPetition – Platform for the petition (link not provided in original article)
Tux Flash Podcast – "Nicht der Weisheit letzter Schluss CB-Funk Podcast #146"
[⚠️ Recommended]: BSI, Bitkom, BMFSFJ for further information