The digital revolution promises us an ever better future for people and the planet. However, while its environmental cost is quite known nowadays, the societal and geopolitical issues triggered are more hidden and taboo. From the extraction of minerals to recycling without forgetting the planned obsolescence, the digital industry is a revolution that is far from keeping all its promises of a radiant future.

One of the main means for reducing the environmental footprint of digital technology is to extend the lifespan of our devices. Fairphone is a European manufacturer that designs and produces smartphones with the goal of having a lower environmental footprint and better social impact than the norms in the electronics industry. We will speak about how, at Fairphone, we fight planned obsolescence, we will see how the eco-design of hardware modularity is one key for longevity but we will also see the role of open source to make our devices last longer from a software perspective.