996.ICU is a landmark community movement and repository that protested the “996” work schedule culture (9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week) prevalent in some tech workplaces. The repo galvanized global attention to labor rights in software by aggregating discussions, legal references, and media coverage that highlight the health and legal risks of excessive overtime. It popularized the Anti-996 License, a software license intended to discourage companies with abusive labor practices from benefiting from open source. The project also fostered translations and international outreach, turning a regional issue into a worldwide conversation about humane work standards. Its simplicity—a README-driven campaign—showed how developer communities can advocate collectively. Beyond code, it stands as an example of using open repositories to coordinate social action in tech.
Features
- Central hub for documenting and challenging 996 work schedules
- Anti-996 License to align software freedom with labor ethics
- Multilingual community resources and translations for wider reach
- Links to media, law, and advocacy materials to inform and mobilize
- Symbolic branding that helped the movement spread rapidly
- Demonstrates how README-first projects can drive social impact
Project Samples
