Why Should We Trust What People Hide from Us?

Open source technology holds the potential to build greater trust among people. By extending the principles of open source from computer science to other areas of society and culture, we might unlock significant benefits.

What is open source?

At its core, open source refers to software whose source code, the underlying instructions that define how the software functions, is freely available for anyone to view, modify, and redistribute. In contrast, most software that general PC users are familiar with, such as Microsoft Windows, games, and Adobe programs, is closed source. The reason for this is quite straightforward.

The digital world differs significantly from the physical world. In the physical realm, if a master engineer builds a machine or a sculptor creates a masterpiece, others may know how it was done, but replicating it requires skill development. The original work retains its value because the time and effort to recreate it are significant. However, in the digital world, if a master programmer or a team develops powerful software like Photoshop, the entire source code can be copied if it’s available. A quick reskin, and suddenly you have your version of Photoshop, potentially just as powerful, ready to sell with minimal effort. To protect their intellectual property and maintain market share, companies often close their source code.

However, there are notable advantages to open sourcing code. The Linux operating system, for instance, was built on open source principles, allowing developers worldwide to contribute to its development. This collaborative effort has resulted in the advanced Linux distributions we see today. By making source code publicly available, developers can identify and fix problems, add new features, and explore innovative directions that might never have been considered otherwise.

Trusting in the Technology

Open source code represents one of the most important phenomena in programming. However, the dominant model in society today is proprietary, closed source code, driven by economic incentives, the human desire for intellectual property recognition, and a general distrust of the outcomes of sharing. Yet, open sourcing software could be a key to transforming society from a culture of ownership and control to one of sharing and collaboration.

Interestingly, the arguments for and against open source often stem from similar concerns. Opponents argue for maintaining control over code for business reasons, or to ensure security and robustness. Proponents, on the other hand, argue that open source is essential for technological progress and for ensuring the same security and robustness through transparency.

But the fundamental question we must ask is: How can users trust software if they are not allowed to see inside it?

We are witnessing a similar shift in the food industry, where consumers are increasingly demanding transparency about food origins. Just as misleading labels like “farm fresh” mask the reality of factory farming, closed source software hides its inner workings, leaving users to trust blindly. Even if you’re not a programmer and have no interest in becoming one, the secrecy surrounding technology should concern you.

Trusting Software

Consider the example of web-browser extensions. These are particularly important, as they often require elevated privileges that can compromise user privacy, arguably the most dangerous code in the browser. Users tend to trust browser extensions more than random programs downloaded from the internet, but this trust is not always warranted.

Take ad-blocking extensions, for example. Many users opt for <a href=“https://adblockplus.org/" target=“blank”?>Adblock Plus, a closed-source app (note this is nowopen source). Studies, such as one by Heule et al., indicate that “over 71% of the top-500 Chrome extensions can trivially leak the user’s data from any site”. What’s to stop Adblock Plus from being part of that percentage? We don’t really know because we can’t see the source code. However, with an open-source alternative like uBlock Origin (code here), users can be confident that there’s no hidden tracking or data leakage, as the entire codebase is available for review.

A recent example is Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. The platform faced several “zoombombing” incidents, where third parties hijacked video conferences. If Zoom were open source, the vulnerabilities that allowed these incidents might have been identified and fixed before causing serious harm.

Trusting Hardware Too

The concept of open source isn’t limited to software; it applies to hardware as well. The “Right to Repair” movement advocates for the idea that if you purchase a device, you should have the right to repair it yourself. After all, you own it.

Apple is a prime example of a company that resists this idea. They have aggressively campaigned against small businesses and individuals repairing their products. There’s even speculation that they engineer components to fail over time, a strategy reminiscent of the “lightbulb conspiracy.", and they have already been fined for doing it with their software. If repair manuals and schematics were available for public scrutiny, Apple could earn the trust of its users by proving these theories wrong.

The concern, of course, is that open sourcing hardware designs could lead to cloning by competitors, undercutting the original creators. However, this business model can work. Dualit, a maker of household appliances, has built its business around the opposite idea of Apple. They provide full disassembly manuals and sell components directly to consumers for repairs.

Conclusion

The debate over open source versus closed source is contentious, but there’s a potential middle ground. Some companies have embraced a “part-open source” model, particularly in the gaming industry. For instance, Bethesda’s release of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim included tools for “modders” to create new content, extending the game’s lifespan well beyond its initial release. Similarly, Dualit allows customers to repair their appliances by providing the necessary components and manuals without revealing the entire manufacturing process.

As web development progresses and third-party apps become the norm, some degree of open source will likely be essential. Keeping software secrets can allow bad intentions to flourish and incompetence to go unchecked. Open source code, on the other hand, offers transparency that minimises the risk of malicious, insecure, or poorly functioning software. By embracing openness, we can build a more trustworthy and collaborative digital future.