What is open source?
Open source software makes its source code public: anyone can read how it works, check what it does with data and suggest improvements. Trust no longer rests on the publisher's word but on the possibility of independent review. Open source does not mean free of charge. The topic continues in chapter 2 of my book, Vivre sans Google.
Information verified on July 13, 2026
A dish whose recipe is published, rather than a mystery dish. Open source software hands its source code, the exact recipe of how it works, to anyone who wants to read it. Any developer can check what the program really does with your data, flag a tracker or submit a fix.
Why does it matter to you? Because trust becomes verifiable. With closed software, you take the publisher’s word when it swears it collects nothing. With open code, thousands of independent eyes can check the promise. No need to read the code yourself: it is enough that others can, and do.
Two nuances before closing the menu. Open source does not mean free of charge: companies make a good living selling services around open code, and a free app can remain fully closed. As for “free software”, it is the activist cousin of open source: the same open code, with a philosophy on top, the user’s freedoms first.
Where it plays out: chapter 2 of the book explains why this criterion weighs in my choice of alternatives, the Web browsers category gives concrete examples, and the Brave vs Chrome comparison shows the difference in practice.
This topic is chapter 2 of my book
It answers these questions, among others:
- which settings actually make a difference once the browser is installed?
- how do you handle the work computer where Chrome is required?
- and how do Safari and Edge hold up, the ones nobody ever compares?
Forthcoming 22/10/2026 from Éditions Eyrolles
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Tech jargon, translated
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