Why Whonix will always be Free as in Price as well as in Freedom

Kicksecure ™

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Table: Why Whonix is Free

Motivation	Rationale
Security	Open Source software like Qubes, Debian and Kicksecure is more secure than proprietary/closed source software. The public scrutiny of security by design has proven to be superior to security through obscurity. This aligns the software development process with Kerckhoffs' principle - the basis of modern cipher-systems design. This principle asserts that systems must be secure, even if the adversary knows everything about how they work. Generally speaking, Freedom Software projects are much more open and respectful of the privacy rights of users. Freedom Software projects also encourage security bug reports, open discussion, public fixes and review.
Legal	Whonix is based on Freedom Software. A lot of Libre licensed software prohibits modification and distribution without sharing the modified source code.
Ethics	Whonix developers believe it is immoral to benefit from those Free/Freedom Software components and give back nothing. We stand on the shoulders of giants - Whonix and many other Libre software projects are only made possible because people invested in writing code that is kept accessible for the public benefit.
Community	It is rewarding and enjoyable to have all types of people contributing. This works best in Open Source projects.
Impact	When free in price, Whonix can spread faster than commercial tools that cannot provide anonymity or privacy by design.
Commerce	Developers hope to make a living from Whonix by selling additional services. (Priority Support | Professional Support)
Career	Our experience volunteering on this project improves our skill set and makes us more valuable employees.

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Kicksecure is proudly supported until 2025 by Power Up Privacy, a privacy advocacy group that seeks to supercharge privacy projects with resources so they can complete their mission of making our world a better place. (Strictly subject to our sponsorship policy.)

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