Can you stop your open-source project from being used for evil?

This question applies to inventing/creating any new technology. Sooner or later someone will use it for a purpose you don't like. A pen can be used to write love letters, or sign execution orders...

Define evil. The problem is, if you can interfere with the use case of your open-source project, it ceases to remain an open-source project. Its purpose has to be community driven and there's nothing you can do against it, otherwise it won't be open-source. And what we've learned from history is when people can do something with an invention, they will 100% do it. Innovate at the world's risk.

Would love to hear opinions on whether there are licenses which address such issues. Anyone?

We use AGPL as the license at Lago and I think it strikes a good balance between the "open source mindset" and protecting our product.
It's used by Plausible and Metabase too!

Happy to share more if it is helpful!

I'd unpack it into two half:

• Is there a licensing model to govern the space,
• and could you enforce it?

I guess it's always possible to create new licenses that put ESG in the centre of licensing model. However, as in any other existing open source licenses, enforcing licensing infringement is almost impossible without a deep pocket and resources available to fight them in court.

ITs better you can make it private repository and work.

What are they using your software for?

This is an excellent question and one I've struggled with myself. I guess if you're that
concerned about what someone will do with your code then you shouldn't make it open-source. This is a shame though, as so many people benefit from open-source software.

It was always my understanding that if you used a license of any kind even an ethical source license then that stops it from being open-source because you are putting restrictions on it. The point of open source is that you are opening it up for anyone to use and do what they want with it, and if that's something evil then that's just how it is, unfortunately.