Navigating Technology Policy and Legislation - From Enthusiasm to Effective Advocacy

Learn about the critical intersection of open source software and government policy in this 39-minute conference talk from OpenForum Europe's Ciarán O'Riordan. Explore how free and open source projects engage with legislative processes worldwide, particularly focusing on current European regulations like the Cyber Resilience Act, AI Act, and Product Liability Directive. Discover the methods and organizational approaches that enable effective collaboration between the open source community and legislators, understanding how technical expertise informs policy decisions. Gain insights into successful policy advocacy strategies that have helped shape regulations while maintaining the interests of the open source ecosystem. Examine the international implications of European regulations and learn how similar frameworks could be adapted for other regions, while understanding the importance of building long-term relationships with policy makers for sustained influence in legislative processes.