Silicon Valley’s alliance with Donald Trump has brought me to my breaking point with US tech. I’m going to keep pushing for governments to get serious about digital sovereignty, but in the meantime I’m looking for non-US alternatives — and will have more on what I’ll be using instead soon. - ThreadSky

parismarx.com • 3 days ago

Silicon Valley’s alliance with Donald Trump has brought me to my breaking point with US tech.

I’m going to keep pushing for governments to get serious about digital sovereignty, but in the meantime I’m looking for non-US alternatives — and will have more on what I’ll be using instead soon.

Comments

videum.eu•3 days ago

I find a major obstacle people mention is YouTube. Trying to showcase other options on this videum account. We must get content creators to move - or at least dual post. I can understand if they don’t want to loose their subscriber base… but they could still dual post.

igorjad.bsky.social•3 days ago

📌

zoonie.bsky.social•2 days ago

Fastmail is Australian, if anyone's interested. It's great.

fantasticdmg.bsky.social•3 days ago

Hey Paris, great article. I hope you are including a survey of free software. Nearly every software company is at risk of its proprietary tech being folded into US tech companies.

Getting software from international companies is great, but what's better is software without borders.

parismarx.com•3 days ago

To a certain degree. But I’m planning to present options regular people can actually use, and too often free software is made for coders without thinking about accessibility for non-technical users.

fantasticdmg.bsky.social•3 days ago

Glad to hear that you're considering it 🙂

I res. disagree w/ the idea that most FOSS is inherently too technical for most users to grasp. while I get that stereotype is based in reality, I think it harms more than helps and can repel curiosity

KDE is a great counterexample for UI as is LibreOffice

fantasticdmg.bsky.social•3 days ago

that being said, telling everyone to drop their macOS or Windows in favor of a 100% privacy oriented Linux distribution would be an insane idea to platform and certainly one that people won't listen to.
Demanding universal FOSS isn't a winning message. Perfect is the enemy of good, and so on.

strangenewwords.bsky.social•3 days ago

There's quite a gulf between how easy it is to install Linux (pretty easy) and how scary it feels when you do it the first time (REAL scary). We are trained to believe we can't do things like that, that we aren't smart enough, that we'll wreck our computer...

fantasticdmg.bsky.social•2 days ago

Exactly. the line tech commentators parrot is that even attempting to switch your OS is a Herculean feat only done by esoteric nerds. It isn't true these days but sways people away from free alternatives

You don't need to install Linux to embrace FOSS. my follow-up was a disclaimer on how far to go

delthefunk66.bsky.social•3 days ago

They should also be working on creating open source alternatives and participating in open source initiatives to give people around the world options as well as Americans. We’ve been pushed into a corner by the tech sector carving out niches for themselves and now everyone is stuck.

parismarx.com•3 days ago

Yes, I explicitly argue for cooperation, which involves embracing open source and open protocols.

couldrynick.bsky.social•3 days ago

Look forward to your proposals!!

parismarx.com•2 days ago

Thanks Nick!

swartable.bsky.social•3 days ago

We have the same concerns at https://cosocial.ca — and we are trying to do something about it. Governments won’t act unless someone builds a viable alternative, and VC funding is a trap.

babbelbubble.bsky.social•3 days ago

In tiny Luxembourg, we have Luxchat. https://today.rtl.lu/news/luxembourg/a/2135395.html

kate-wallace.bsky.social•2 days ago

Following-I’ve been disgusted with many of the companies but feeling somewhat trapped because of how much I rely on their tech for life and work as a self-employed freelancer. Interested in viable, ethical alternatives!

guerric.bsky.social•2 days ago

I'm partway through this transition too. I haven't pulled the plug on Google yet, but I'm almost there.

So far I've found the most difficult thing to replace has been a calendar that you can easily share with friends or family across Android/iOS/web.

guerric.bsky.social•2 days ago

The few options that exist (like Proton's calendar) are paid, or have high technical requirements for setting up that are a barrier to accessibility. I'm not sure what exists for people who are under financial constraints and aren't able to commit several hours of technical work to setup.

guerric.bsky.social•2 days ago

The other thing is Google Maps; OpenStreetMap and services based on it mostly work well, but their features are a bit inconsistent, and they seem to have less information than Google's map. It's doable, but a bit rough.

bouffon-rustique.bsky.social•3 days ago

We have this great association in France: https://framasoft.org/en/empowerment.

samuelthomson.bsky.social•3 days ago

Does open source work as a potential alternative? I've felt like open source advocacy has been waning for years, but I don't know if there're good reasons for that.

parismarx.com•3 days ago

in some cases, absolutely. in others the barrier is far too high to recommend to non-technical users

strangenewwords.bsky.social•3 days ago

I've been using alternatives to Big Tech products for 2 1/2 years and it's completely doable.

And unlike Microsoft, Apple, Google and Facebook, the alternatives feel like they're getting better and better all the time. It feels amazing to be excited to install software updates again!

glenster1111.bsky.social•3 days ago

I'm curious what you're solutions have been.

strangenewwords.bsky.social•2 days ago

There are SO many alternatives. The amount of choice itself can be an obstacle. Exploring for yourself is important, but here are my choices:

- OS: Ubuntu
- Browser: Firefox
- Search: Ecosia
- Phone: /e/OS
- E-mail: Proton
- Notes: Joplin
- Office: LibreOffice
- Text: Signal
- Streaming: Jellyfin

skyethelimit.bsky.social•3 days ago

I just moved all my Google Photos and Workspace out to Immich and NextCloud - All self hosted and I am using a Canadian eazyBackup for s3 storage.

25-oclock.bsky.social•3 days ago

📌

carlosmoreira.bsky.social•3 days ago

I bet good money that there are frequent conversations about "back doors" between the US government and silicon valley. They've become completely untrustworthy in a matter of weeks.

wkhuber.bsky.social•3 days ago

Looking forward to hear your experiences!
FWIW, for those who follow this thread, here's a list of options https://european-alternatives.eu/

marifrtz.com•3 days ago

📌

ngsmcphrsn.bsky.social•3 days ago

evernote! old school.

thegaryb.bsky.social•3 days ago

I have been using Tom Tom Amigo instead of Google Maps for a while now. Looking forward to your reccs.

parismarx.com•3 days ago

I’ve been trying Here WeGo, maybe I should give the TomTom one a shot too

gramshelper.bsky.social•2 days ago

📌

formandfunction.bsky.social•3 days ago

📌

mikecarlucci.org•2 days ago

Easy place to start by leaving substack

laggedhero.bsky.social•2 days ago

And this. Please.

mikethemadbiol.bsky.social•3 days ago

📌

kinlane.bsky.social•3 days ago

Smart. Growing trend.

maylikestoronto.bsky.social•3 days ago

This was my fav walkthrough on how to get off the big tech platforms. Keeps it simple for the more regular folk. I haven't gotten very far, but that piecemeal progress feels good.
https://www.optoutproject.net/the-cyber-cleanse-take-back-your-digital-footprint/

mlakas.bsky.social•5 hours ago

thanks for sharing!

aplkadiri.bsky.social•3 days ago

📌

marifrtz.com•3 days ago

📌

stitchingtwitcher.bsky.social•3 days ago

📌

stitchingtwitcher.bsky.social•3 days ago

What a fantastic resource!

resad.bsky.social•2 days ago

📌

johnlattaart.bsky.social•3 days ago

📌

insaanity.bsky.social•3 days ago

This is fantastic, thanks for sharing. Something I can share with less tech-savvy friends and family.

evilpilaf.bsky.social•3 days ago

Will you be leaving substack again? Seeing that it’s a nazi platform kinda feels like you should

geenie1234.bsky.social•3 days ago

European tech options are available.

670rv.bsky.social•2 days ago

There goes more US Exports!
But like Tesla - they should see this coming.

nhyde.bsky.social•2 days ago

Brave for browsing.
Proton for passwords, mail, calendar, drive and VPN.
The only silicon valley company I am 'stuck' with is Apple.

marypcbuk.bsky.social•2 days ago

Proton explicitly backs Trump!

nhyde.bsky.social•2 days ago

You’re hyperbolic. That is not what the CEO said.

marypcbuk.bsky.social•2 days ago

parismarx.com•2 days ago

Brave is American so it doesn’t fit my criteria

nhyde.bsky.social•2 days ago

Vivaldi then! Norway is their HQ

parismarx.com•2 days ago

that’s what i’m trying out :)

nhyde.bsky.social•2 days ago

Vivaldi is great. Brave handles YouTube adds better else I’d be on Vivaldi too!

andyrogers.bsky.social•2 days ago

Thanks for the thread. Look forward to your discoveries! 📌

godofdun.bsky.social•3 days ago

Looking forward to your suggestions!

connor.social•3 days ago

You should start by getting off of Substack. Safe harbor for nazis.

keeptheskyblue.bsky.social•3 days ago

He did, and it tanked his income to the point where some things became unviable. Maybe there are alternative strategies, but that can mean finding a financial backer in the medium term. Marketing is a nightmare these days.

jasonsinclair.bsky.social•3 days ago

Yeah, I was going to write the same comment. It rings a bit empty to me to criticize all of these tech companies when all of the author's articles are hosted by Substack. I guess he's only interested in criticizing the companies which don't support his income stream?

parismarx.com•3 days ago

Silicon Valley is increasingly coming under fire because the optimistic narratives that helped shield the public from the harms of their businesses aren’t credible anymore, especially as their platforms continue to get worse.

https://www.disconnect.blog/p/why-im-getting-off-us-tech

parismarx.com•3 days ago

Our dependence on US tech has been a problem for a long time, but the Trump administration and the industry’s embrace of the extreme right makes that impossible to continue ignoring. Our governments need to step up.

https://www.disconnect.blog/p/why-im-getting-off-us-tech

parismarx.com•3 days ago

I’ll continue pushing for governments to reduce dependence on US tech and properly resource efforts to build alternatives — especially through public and non-profit institutions.

But I can wait for them to act. The moment demands we start abandoning US tech.

https://www.disconnect.blog/p/why-im-getting-off-us-tech

parismarx.com•3 days ago

I want to acknowledge from the start that because these services are everywhere, it’s going to be impossible to completely detach from them.

But I still think it’s an effort worth trying — and every bit counts. Concrete suggestions coming soon.

https://www.disconnect.blog/p/why-im-getting-off-us-tech

laggedhero.bsky.social•2 days ago

I’m using this to help me out on detaching from the USA.

https://european-alternatives.eu/

parismarx.com•2 days ago

I’ve found lists like that helpful, but I’m looking beyond just European options

adrianlorenzana.ca•3 days ago

🫡 looking forward to your recommendations

suzamax.one•3 days ago

Start from your Operating System.

theclack.bsky.social•2 days ago

Thanks for this! I'm looking forward to hearing about the alternatives you're considering. I've been on a quest of my own:

parismarx.com•2 days ago

Spotify is really easy because unlike with video streaming, music streaming apps have pretty similar libraries! Disney+ is more difficult if you want to watch Disney stuff, of course.

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