The Trump effect is fascinating in that it often achieves the exact opposite of what it intends. When he attacks NATO, he forces Europe to reflect on its own defense capabilities. When he undermines institutions, people start questioning their purpose. And when he tries to strengthen the power of Big Tech corporations, many of us paradoxically wake up and begin cutting ties with them.
Trump’s rise — and the ecosystem of Big Tech power surrounding him — made me seriously reconsider what I’m part of, and what I no longer want to be part of. So, over a year ago, after some fourteen years of fairly active use, I left Facebook. I also deleted my accounts on X, Instagram, YouTube, and Threads.
For years, I’ve been selective about the consumer products I use. But this past year, I focused entirely on finding and testing alternatives to mainstream tech products. To my surprise, I discovered that not only do viable alternatives exist — many of them are better. And as a bonus, many are European. Here are a few insights and tips.
Email
For many years, I’ve used ProtonMail instead of Gmail. ProtonMail is an encrypted email service based in Switzerland, built on a simple principle: your email should be your private space, not a product for advertising or surveillance. They offer a range of additional tools, and I’m completely satisfied with them.
Social Media
I replaced all the platforms mentioned above with just one: Bluesky. It’s similar to X in format, but built on a radically different foundation. Instead of one central company controlling everything, Bluesky is a decentralized platform where users have far more control over how their feed works and who manages their data. The network now has over 40 million users worldwide and continues to grow. The environment is also much friendlier and far less toxic than Facebook or X.
Another alternative to the big American social networks is Mastodon. It’s a decentralized platform that operates very differently from traditional services like X, Facebook, or Instagram. Mastodon is essentially a federation of thousands of smaller servers that communicate with each other. Compared to Bluesky, however, it has far fewer active contributors.
Search Engines
I switched from Google to the Dutch search engine Startpage, which combines Google’s search quality with extremely strong privacy protection. It’s essentially “Google without the tracking.” Startpage is based in the EU and therefore subject to GDPR — another advantage. Other alternatives include the UK’s Mojeek, French Qwant, and German eco-conscious Ecosia.
Apple
One product I’ve used since its launch in 2007 and still rely on is the iPhone — same goes for the MacBook. Apple CEO Tim Cook regularly appears alongside Musk, Zuckerberg, Thiel, and other Big Tech leaders, and even donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration. But unlike most of them — who have scrapped or scaled back DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) programs to appease Trump — Apple continues to support and expand them. I’m keeping a close eye on Apple. If they abandon their current philosophy, I already have the UK-based brand Nothing on my radar.
THANK YOU AND FUCK YOU, DONNIE!
European alternatives to American digital products: www.european-alternatives.eu