”Software that controls your body must always respect your freedom” warns a program manager at the Free Software Foundation.
In July, users of the proprietary software app LibreLink who live in the UK and use Apple devices noticed that the app they relied on to monitor their blood sugar levels was no longer working. After developer Abbott pushes an update to the app…Despite what its name might suggest, there is nothing free About the LibreLink app. This is proprietary software, so users must rely on the company to run and distribute the software.and free software, [a user] would have had the freedom to Run, copy, distribute, examine, modify, and improve the software; Or they could have relied on a community of developers and users to share and fix the software. That way you could have leveraged the older version of the software and reverted the update…
Two months later, with Apple’s update to iOS 17, users of the FreeStyle LibreLink and Libre 2 apps once again have reason to worry that updating their iPhones will cause the software they rely on to stop working. . This time users around the world were affected. During September, Abbott warns Apple users: “As part of the upcoming iOS 17 release, Apple is introducing standby mode and assisted access mode…This release does not affect the experience of the FreeStyle Libre 2 app, FreeStyle LibreLink app, or FreeStyle LibreLinkUp app. Disable automatic updates of your phone’s operating system using the apps listed above.” This warning may disable time-sensitive notifications such as blood sugar alarms while in standby mode. , assisted access mode was created because it can affect an app’s ability to activate sensors or change alarm settings.
And the scenario of companies abandoning services and updates to users isn’t just theoretical. This is the harsh reality that users of the ophthalmic implants produced by Second Sight Medical Products have been facing since Second Sight Medical Products decided to: abandon technology In 2020, it faced the risk of bankruptcy. [“>According to IEEE Spectrum], Terry Byland, whose vision has been dependent on a first-generation Argus implant since 2004, said of his experience: It’s screwed. Because there’s no way to fix it. ” That’s what happened to Barbara Campbell, whose retinal implant suddenly stopped working while riding the subway…
It is our responsibility as free software advocates to educate others about the problems with proprietary software in medical assistance. Let’s encourage our friends, parents, and grandparents to ask their doctors about their medical device software, choose and insist on free software over proprietary software.
