InterHop.org is a French non-profit association under the French law of 1901. It promotes, develops and makes available free and open-source software for health research.

InterHop.org brings together activists for free software and self-managed use of health data at the local level.

Protecting our health data

Massive data - or big data - is today's gold, the digital giants have understood this and are becoming powerful players in the health data market. In fact, they are setting up storage platforms - or hosting - that are inexpensive and easy to use.
The recent scandals however make us doubt their intentions and their methodology for using this treasure.
Let's remain in control of our health data and build a safe and suitable alternative together. We will gain in security, autonomy and knowledge.

Our story

Our association was created in 2020 during COVID. Every evening at 8 p.m. you thanked and encouraged the nursing staff, but also reaffirmed the values of mutual aid and solidarity. This period of crisis has made us understand the role of digital technology in the medicine of the future. Due to a lack of understanding of the complex issues, it is in danger and needs everyone's support.

We are seeing that more and more health IT projects are being centralized around proprietary American players - Amazon and Microsoft. These actors subject us to interference from the United States in our legal and economic system.
Indeed, the laws called Patriot Act / FISA then the CLOUD Act allow, thanks to the extraterritoriality of American law, legal access to the personal data of French citizens without warning them. We want to prevent a repeat of the scenario shown by Edward Snowden in 2013.
To combat this, we are committed to using free software, minimizing the storage of medical data, not exploiting patient data and hosting data with companies subject exclusively to European law.

Back in 2014, the 'Dégooglisons Internet' project by the Framasoft association showed by example that it was possible to bring together free and ethical skills and devices with a view to decentralising the Internet. The initiative spearheaded by a handful of members demonstrates that it is possible to help individuals as well as organisations build credible alternatives to the digital giants with a decentralised, liberating approach - as opposed to a centralised one.

Who are we?

We are a collective of engineers, lawyers, health professionals and patients.

Our team is mainly from French hospitals. We have mainly worked in hospital data management centres. Together we are experts in the challenges of digital health.

We know that using data can be beneficial for patients. However, we are also aware of the possible abuses and want to reinforce a framework of transparency around free software to guarantee the respect of privacy.

Our association questions the way in which digital and health influence each other.