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+<!-- pubdate: 20200711 -->
+
+# Open letter to KITE: On the use of proprietary apps and services for online classes in schools
+
+<strong>To</strong><br />
+Hon' Minister for Education,<br />
+Govt of Kerala.
+
+Dear Sir
+
+Kerala Govt has always been a leader in adoption of Free Software
+(free as in freedom) in the country. Most importantly it started with
+introduction of Free Software in the schools. Leadership shown by
+teacher community in Kerala is also commendable.
+
+In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the adoption of online
+mode of education<sup>[1](#fn-1)</sup>, we found that proprietary
+software is being promoted within the educational system. We learned
+that official documents by the offices under the Govt. of Kerala calls
+for use of proprietary software exclusively for educational
+purposes<sup>[2](#fn-2)</sup>. Promotion of proprietary software such
+as WhatsApp is particularly problematic on two grounds. It is
+explicitly going back from the Government's position to use Free
+Software and secondly it promotes a monopoly power.
+
+
+## The WhatsApp Trap
+
+Many people do not realize the trap of WhatsApp as they only see that
+the service is free of cost and everyone around them is using it. One
+reason for this is their lack of understanding about the trade-offs
+they are making when using WhatsApp. Most people using WhatsApp do not
+realize how their data is being collected, stored and analyzed by
+WhatsApp. Making our students use this software at a time when they
+can not make an informed decision is like a drug dealer providing a
+sample pack. The State is creating consumers for a monopoly
+business. Use of WhatsApp as the channel to exchange educational
+content discriminates against those who would prefer not to use
+WhatsApp but other options. WhatsApp is a subsidiary of
+Facebook<sup>[3](#fn-3)</sup> which is infamous for its carelessness
+and complete disregard for its user's privacy<sup>[4](#fn-4)</sup>.
+
+
+## Alternates available
+
+We suggest that Kerala Government adopt free software alternatives
+such as <https://quicksy.im> which works exactly like WhatsApp from a
+user's perspective, but without lock-in to a single company. After
+installing the Quicksy app, the user has to provide their phone number
+and it is verified by an OTP sent to their phone. It then finds all
+users listed in the Quicksy directory matching with the local phone's
+address book entries<sup>[5](#fn-5)</sup>. A Quicksy user can
+communicate with users of any app or service that uses the XMPP
+protocol, not just users of Quicksy app and service. The state
+government may easily setup a server on its own and provide this
+facility to every student in the state. Apart from Quicksy, there are
+other free software alternatives that government may
+consider<sup>[6](#fn-6)</sup>.
+
+## Standards and interoperability
+
+XMPP is similar to the SMTP protocol used for email and the GSM
+standard used to ensure interoperability between mobile service
+providers. A mobile subscriber has the option to buy a SIM card from
+any service provider and port their number to a different provider
+without losing the ability to talk to their existing contacts if they
+are unhappy with the service. In the case of WhatsApp, they have no
+choice to move to a different messaging service provider if they want
+to talk to other WhatsApp users. So, moving away from WhatsApp is
+often not a practical option due to this lock-in. In the case of XMPP,
+the users can choose their preferred service provider and change it if
+they are not happy with a service provider.
+
+## Recommendations
+
+We would like make following recommedations to the government.
+
+KITE under the Department of Education should be directed to setup
+free software based e-learning and communication infrastructure for
+state government. This can include instant messaging, file-sharing
+systems, and e-learning platforms.
+
+Free software community expertise can be leveraged to setup
+infrastructure and train teachers. More than 25 people from the Free
+Software community have already volunteered to support the
+teachers<sup>[7](#fn-7)</sup>.
+
+Currently the videos are uploaded only on Youtube and Facebook. KITE
+should also consider offering PeerTube as another option, which is
+Free Software powered and offers better privacy to users. Additionally
+it saves cost of live streaming via KITE website by sharing bandwidth
+among the users<sup>[8](#fn-8)</sup>. If needed PeerTube instance at
+<https://videos.fsci.in> operated by Free Software Community of India
+can be used provided the content is licensed under Creative Commons
+license which allows sharing freely.
+
+It was noted that the teachers who give classes through first bell
+program are recommending proprietary services as tools for
+communication. This will create confusion for both students and
+parents that they might think they are required for the student's
+education. This confusion should be prevented.  
+
+A long-term plan for software and infrastructure adoption should be
+discussed. This will help to avoid being depended on proprietary
+solutions in an emergency as we will be well prepared. Such
+discussions, with the adoption of free software solutions, can design
+an advanced, inclusive IT-enabled education system. Free Software
+Communities can be involved for support and development of such
+system.
+
+## References
+
+1. <span id="fn-1"><https://education.kerala.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/GO-Online-Class-First-Bell.pdf></span>
+
+2. <span id="fn-2"><https://www.doolnews.com/online-learning-parents-and-teachers-need-attention-education-department-guidelines-454.html></span> (we have a copy of the document referenced in this article)
+
+3. <span id="fn-3"><https://www.fsf.org/facebook></span>
+
+4. <span id="fn-4"><https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-cambridge-analytica-factbox/factbox-who-is-cambridge-analytica-and-what-did-it-do-idUSKBN1GW07F></span>
+
+5. <span id="fn-5"><https://www.f-droid.org/en/packages/im.quicksy.client/></span>
+
+6. <span id="fn-6"><https://switching.software/replace/whatsapp/></span>
+
+7. <span id="fn-7"><https://codema.in/d/LDwsanKx/open-letter-to-kerala-it-school-kite-director-on-forcing-teachers-students-and-parents-to-use-whatsapp/5></span>
+
+8. <span id="fn-8"><https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PeerTube></span>