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It’s time to jailbreak the farm
Presented by: "Sick Codes, Kevin Kenney, Elizabeth Chamberlain, Paul Roberts"
Paul Roberts is the founder of Secure Repairs (securepairs.org), an independent group of information security and information technology professionals who support the right to repair. Paul is a seasoned reporter, editor and industry analyst with more than 15 years experience covering the information technology security space. His writing about cybersecurity has appeared in publications including The Christian Science Monitor, MIT Technology Review, The Economist Intelligence Unit, CIO Magazine, ZDNet and Fortune Small Business. He has appeared on NPR’s Marketplace Tech Report, KPCC AirTalk, Fox News Tech Take, Al Jazeera and The Oprah Show.
Description:
Farmers large and small in the U.S. are being crushed under the thumb of “BigAg” equipment makers whose late model farm machinery combines sensors, always-on Internet connections, software and Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) to vacuum up and monetize proprietary farm data, while simultaneously preventing farmers from being able to service and repair their own equipment. Farmers who own late model equipment today are required to patronize “authorized” technicians at the expense of independent repair and are forced to pay astronomical prices for even routine maintenance. What’s needed is a way to free farmers from the grip of these monopolies with free software and usurious OEM-operated software ecosystems. This panel will bring together experts on farming and farm equipment, embedded device security and policy (e.g. right to repair) to discuss ways to liberate farmers with free software.