Ask HN: Why did anti-FOSS move by GrapheneOS not receive more attention?
Using GPLv2-only licensing to prevent a GPLv3 project from taking our code while disallowing us from using their code (since we can&#x27;t use GPLv3) is hardly anti-FOSS. GrapheneOS can&#x27;t use GPLv3 for Vanadium because it&#x27;s incompatible with the WebView being loaded into other applications and GPLv3 has restrictions which would result in GrapheneOS being less free, by disallowing valid usage of GrapheneOS to make devices with an immutable root of trust. We want GrapheneOS to be friendly to people making downstream projects&#x2F;products based on it and therefore stick to permissive licenses and GPLv2.<p>GPLv2 is an open source license. We continued allowing them to take our code and continued contributing to their project ourselves despite the general inability to use Bromite&#x27;s code. We already didn&#x27;t find the situation to be fair. There are also issues with proper attribution not being given for our code and the downplaying of the impact of our contributions. For example, a contributor to Vanadium wrote a new ad-blocking implementation which was adopted by Bromite before it was ready for Vanadium, which led to a negative impact on development of the feature for Vanadium. Almost no credit is given for the stuff submitted by GrapheneOS project members &#x2F; contributors to Bromite. It&#x27;s actively downplayed.<p>Bromite began working with people involved in a severe misinformation and harassment campaign directed at GrapheneOS developers. Combined with the inability to use their code due to GPLv3, we chose to change our licensing. This was done in advance of substantial work that&#x27;s going to be done on Vanadium. Having our code taking by a project not giving us proper credit and not allowing us to use their work in return was having an actively negative effect on Vanadium development.<p>Personally, I think engaging in spreading misinformation about open source projects across platforms including via sockpuppet accounts like this one along with harassment and libel targeting our project members is extremely anti-open-source. GrapheneOS does not spread misinformation about other projects this way, and we don&#x27;t tolerate our community members doing it either, and similarly don&#x27;t tolerate them engaging in harassment or libel.