The open source hardware community is debating Arduino’s new Terms and Conditions following the company’s acquisition by Qualcomm.
Chief microcontroller rival Adafruit has argued that the new terms threaten open principles by restricting reverse engineering of cloud tools, asserting perpetual licenses over user uploads and implementing broad monitoring for AI-related features.
Arduino has defended the changes, claiming restrictions only apply to its SaaS cloud applications, that data handling is standard for modern platforms, and its commitment to open source hardware remains unchanged.
The Debate Over Arduino’s New Terms and Conditions
Last week, I spoke to Arduino, Adafruit and the EFF about Qualcomm’s October acquisition of the beloved company known for its single-board microcontroller kits.
Many criticisms came from rival Adafruit, whose products include Arduino-compatible hardware kits. In late November, Adafruit’s Managing Editor Phillip Torrone had warned its 36,000+ followers on LinkedIn that (among other things) Arduino’s users were now “explicitly forbidden from reverse engineering or even attempting to understand how the platform works unless Arduino gives permission.”
But Arduino responded in a blog post that “Restrictions on reverse engineering apply specifically to our Software-as-a-Service cloud applications. Anything that was open, stays open.”
An Arduino spokesperson said their blog post reassured many readers, who’d said they felt “understanding and relief that our commitment to the open source spirit is unwavering and Arduino’s core mission remains unchanged.” Yet Adafruit’s critical LinkedIn post had drawn over 1,575 upvotes. I asked both sides to clarify their positions. Does this really represent a turning point since Arduino’s founding in 2004?
Here’s what they had to say.
Reverse Engineering: Cloud Apps vs. Hardware Boards
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