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Purism Differentiator Series, Part 2: Formation
Todd Weaver
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Welcome to Purism, a different type of technology company.
We believe you should have technology that does not spy on you.
We believe you should have complete control over your digital life.
We advocate for personal privacy, cyber security, and individual freedoms.
We sell hardware, develop software, and provide services according to these beliefs.
To do all that, we think differently across all areas of business and technology.
Purism Differentiator Series, Part 2: Formation
Purism is a Social Purpose Corporation. Google, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, Amazon, and other tech firms are all classified as C Corporations where they must maximize profit at all costs. Purism is different, as an SPC we are able to put our values above profit (we of course desire consistent and growing profits, but we do not compromise our beliefs in the name of profits). This is a fundamental difference that has a positive radiating effect on all our other differentiators because we are able to stay true to our beliefs when building products, software, and services.
Systemic Problem of C Corporations
Nearly everybody knows that exploitative Big Tech abuse our digital rights, because it’s at the core of their business. It’s the root problem. It will not “get better” unless any one of three things happen:
- Government regulation (that is ethical for society)
- Business models change (to something ethical for society)
- People switch (to something ethical for society)
Big Tech—corporations whose business model exploits humanity for profit—they all suffer from a systemic toxin, that discourages personal freedoms and removes any digital rights we as society demand. Big Tech corporations are already starting the marketing to try to differentiate themselves from it. But marketing alone will not remove the poison within their business model.
Social Purpose Corporation Solves the Systemic Problem
You may ask “But… You’re a Company?” Actually, we’re a Social Purpose Corporation (SPC). And that is not just a series of buzzwords, it’s a legal framework of a business that carries with it significant importance. It is the reason we can’t ever exploit people for profit, it is the reason we are unlike all Big Tech companies who were formed to strip your digital rights in the name of maximizing shareholder value.
As Inc. Magazine put it:
“Purism is what is called a ‘Social Purpose Corporation,’ which allows a business to prioritize social objectives over fiduciary duties.” ~ Christine Lagorio-Chafkin – Senior writer Inc.
The Deeper Problem with C Corporations
Let me dive deeper into the problem. All C corporations, including all Big Tech giants, have a single goal: Maximize Shareholder Value. That’s it. That’s the only goal. But it’s not just a goal. Under eBay v. Newmark, a lawsuit setting legal precedent stating:
The law makes it literally malfeasance for a corporation not to do everything it legally can to maximize its profits.
So if given the choice of making $1 by exploiting people online, or opting to treat people ethically, the Corporation must exploit people online for the dollar, or the board of directors and executives could face a lawsuit from any shareholder that claims they did not maximize the value of their shares.
The regulations at the foundation of Big Tech are forcing the exploitation of our digital rights.
Quoting Chancellor William B. Chandler, III who sums up the problem perfectly in his Delaware Court opinion when eBay sued Craigslist for not maximizing its shares:
“Having chosen a for-profit corporate form, the directors are bound by the fiduciary duties to promote the value of the corporation for the benefit of its stockholders.” ~ Chancellor William B. Chandler, III
Legal Precedent and Our Lack of Digital Rights
We have centuries of legal precedent in the physical world, advanced by science and society guiding our moral compass, trespassing laws, freedom of speech, privacy rights, protection against personal harm and abuse. We have nearly no digital rights. Big Tech trespasses on your data, restricts speech, obliterates privacy entirely. Big Tech exploits people, causes harm and inflicts abuse upon our society.
If somebody approached your bedroom window from outside, put a camera up and started recording, you would immediately call the authorities and report the numerous laws broken—a case would be opened, arrests could be made, charges could be pressed, trials could ensue, criminals could go to jail; but in the digital world none of that exists—you are forced to leak far more details than a camera in your bedroom would share, and you are forced to leak that personal data from your phone all the time.
All future government regulation will be influenced, funded, and lobbied by Big Tech. Could you imagine a future regulation where Big Tech wins to cryptographically sign everything with their keys, under their control on their products? What a nightmare scenario… Could you imagine your mobile phone under the complete control of Apple or Google? (sarcasm alert: This is how it is now). Big Tech exploits you every millisecond of every day.
Convenience, Control, and Freedom are Possible
Maximizing shareholder value in a society that has nearly no digital rights, guarantees exploitation of that society. Why did we let this happen? How did we let this happen? I know why. Because… It’s convenient to give up control. It is convenient for you to download a proprietary application that exploits you, agree to the legal binding terms of service you didn’t read, and blissfully believe Big Tech is helping you in the digital world. It’s inconvenient to stand up for your freedom.
It seems we are offered to choose between convenience and control or inconvenience and freedom
I believe we can have both convenience AND freedom. We can actually build technology that benefits society faster when they are based on principles we deem ethical.
Purism as a Social Purpose Corporation
As stated at the time: “Purism being a Social Purpose Corporation may seem like a tiny move to some, but it actually is a tremendous win for Purism’s longevity as a social movement.”
Purism’s articles of incorporation state our purpose, in summary as:
- The Corporation will prioritize privacy, security, and freedom for its customers.
- The Corporation will only use and distribute free/libre and open source software in the kernel, OS, and software in its products.
- The Corporation will design and manufacture hardware that respects users’ rights to privacy, security, and freedom.
- The Corporation will not discriminate against individuals, groups or fields of endeavor.
- The Corporation will source, and manufacture the highest quality hardware.
- The Corporation will release all software written by The Corporation under a free software license.
- The Corporation will release all hardware schematics authored by The Corporation under a free hardware license.
- The Corporation will release encryption tools and services and will design these tools such that The Corporation will have no means to access users’ encrypted data.
This formation ensures that we advance those purposes over maximizing profit, thus making Purism different than all its Big Tech competitors.
Purism Products and Availability Chart
| Model | Status | Lead Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Librem Key (Made in USA) | In Stock ($59+) | 10 business days | |
 | Librem 5 | In Stock ($999+) 3GB/32GB | 10 business days | |
| Librem 5 + SIMple (4 GB Data) | In Stock ($99/mo) | 10 business days | |
| Librem 5 + SIMple Plus (10 GB Data) | In Stock ($129/mo) | 10 business days | |
| Librem 5 + AweSIM (Unlimited Data) | In Stock ($169/mo) | 10 business days | |
 | Librem 11 | In Stock ($999+) 8GB/1TB | 10 business days | |
 | Librem 14 | In Stock ($1,370+) | 10 business days | |
 | Librem Mini | Apr 2024 ($799+) | Shipping April, 2024 | |
| Liberty Phone (Made in USA Electronics) | Apr 2024 ($1,999+) 4GB/128GB | Shipping April, 2024 | |
 | Librem Server | Apr 2024 ($2,999+) | Shipping April, 2024 |
Recent Posts
Related Content
- Purism Differentiator Series, Part 14: Surveillance Capitalism
- Purism Differentiator Series, Part 13: Modularity & Right to Repair
- Purism Differentiator Series, Part 12: Secure Supply Chain and Made in USA Electronics
- Purism Differentiator Series, Part 11: Convergence
- Purism Differentiator Series, Part 10: Convenience
