1Password faced immediate backlash from customers this week for a $300,000 pledge in support of a Linux distribution created by David Heinemeier Hansson, who has regularly published openly racist blog posts that include comments calling for the deportation of ethnic minorities in Europe. The popular password manager is now a “distinguished corporate sponsor” of Omacom, the nonprofit foundation that oversees a popular Linux distribution known as Omarchy. A viral blog post stated that 1Password “supports the ethnic cleansing of Europe” due to the donation. Others on social media asked for suggestions on alternative password managers so they would not support funding a project by Heinemeier Hansson, better known as DHH. The donation has also sparked an internal reaction from 1Password employees who are disappointed by the affiliation, The Verge has learned. Since then, 1Password CEO David Faugno and co-founder Roustem Karimov have posted internal messages addressing what Faugno describes as “concerns, both internal and external” that have arisen “due to the polarizing nature” of DHH. DHH is a Danish entrepreneur best known for creating Ruby on Rails, Basecamp, and the Hey email client. Omarchy is DHH’s “opinionated” version of Linux, meaning it’s Linux the way he likes to use it. It is based on Arch Linux, with certain applications installed by default. Apparently it is also one of 1Password’s big customer environments. The backlash to 1Password’s funding should have been predictable; DHH’s reactionary comments are not new. Back in 2023, Duke University Libraries abandoned one of DHH’s products, Basecamp, citing “damages we see perpetuated by the leadership of Basecamp’s parent company, 37signals,” which is co-owned by DHH. At the time, Duke noted DHH’s attack on DEI programs and The Verge’s reporting on Basecamp banning “social and political discussions” at work. This year, DHH has published rants that appear to call for ethnic cleansing in Europe. In his July 21 blog titled “Wolves, Sheep, and Gypsies,” DHH implies that immigrants are “wolves.” Your solution? “When wolves get out of control, you shoot them. When gypsies take over public spaces, you deport them.” You believe in your heart that DHH is bad, that you have the moral authority, and that nothing will change your mind. However, not everyone believes that. It’s not fair to claim a monopoly and exclude team members who might disagree with you. There are people who are afraid to speak out simply because they will be personally attacked. 1Password CEO Faugno took a different approach, seeking to assure staff that “1Password does not endorse hateful, dehumanizing or exclusionary views, including those shared publicly by DHH.” However, it appears that the company has sacrificed a moral position for a “mission-driven” position. In the same message to staff, Faugno says that “the scale and growth of [Omarchy’s] Usage among our customers is significant: Omarchy has grown to become the second most used Linux distribution among 1Password users.” Faugno then tries to create distance, telling staff that his contribution is “to the Omacom Foundation, not to an individual.” Still, he says, “we recognize that Omarchy is associated with DHH, its founder. Our donation is in no way an endorsement of his personal views or conduct.” We asked 1Password to comment on its funding from the Omacom Foundation on August 31, and again today. We did not receive a response in time for publication. The Omacom Foundation is also funded by 12 “founding sponsors,” each of whom contributed $1 million, including Stripe CEO Patrick Collison, Michael Dell, Jack Dorsey, and Tobias Lütke of Shopify, who recently endorsed the idea that rich Canadians should have more voting power in democracy than poorer people, even before 1Password contributed, this page looked like a rogue tech gallery (DHH himself also donated $1 million to the project). on your personalized home page and to receive email updates.TC SottekCloseTC SottekThis author’s posts will be added to your daily email digest and home page.FollowFollowView all by TC SottekJacob KastrenakesCloseJacob KastrenakesThis author’s posts will be added to your daily email digest and home page feed.FollowFollowView all by Jacob KastrenakesTechCloseTechPosts by this topic will be added to your daily email digest and home page feed.FollowFollowSee All Tech
