The Civil Society Technology Foundation (CSTF) empowers individuals and communities to reclaim digital sovereignty through the development and dissemination of open-source, self-hosted technologies.
We exist to create a world where technology serves people—not corporations or governments—by reducing structural dependency on centralized platforms and enabling direct control of digital infrastructure.
Through accessible tools, educational resources, and community engagement, we advance practical autonomy: the capacity of users to understand, modify, and maintain the technologies they rely on.
We believe digital sovereignty—including control over data, identity, and computation—is essential to democratic participation and institutional resilience in the digital era.
Our Approach #
To fulfill this mission, we pursue two primary strategies:
- The creation and support of accessible, libre digital tools
- The cultivation of technical literacy through educational resources and community engagement
We approach artificial intelligence as a public utility to be shaped and governed by civil society. Our efforts seek to align technological capabilities with ethical, sustainable, and equitable use, outside the logic of commercial exploitation.
This work is motivated by a conviction that open systems, federated infrastructure, and transparent governance are not only technically feasible, but socially necessary. By building and sharing common resources, we contribute to a broader ecosystem of public digital goods—critical to any robust civil society.