Organic Maps contributors fork project as concerns over governance and transparency grow

Several contributors to Organic Maps have forked the project, launching a new initiative called CoMaps. This decision follows escalating concerns over governance, transparency, and the potential for profit-taking by Organic Maps OÜ, the Estonian company behind the navigation app. Contributors had previously expressed frustration regarding closed components and the lack of community control, feeling this contradicted the project's stated open-source values.

While Organic Maps remains a free and open source app, its ownership structure and management policies led contributors to seek reform. Organic Maps OÜ, a for-profit LLC, did not respond satisfactorily to an open letter from the community seeking increased accountability and democratization of governance. In response, the contributors established CoMaps as a fork.

CoMaps sets out clear principles emphasizing transparency, community-led decision-making, not-for-profit operation, and a fully open-source, privacy-focused approach. Following these new commitments, the project is actively inviting contributions and testers, although it cautions users that CoMaps is at an early stage of development and not yet ready for daily use.