Big tech companies are so dominant and so far - reaching mighty now that people could probably live their entire digital lives interacting only with Google , Apple , Meta , Microsoft , and Amazon product . Things never got quite that regretful for me but I did realize recently that I ’ve been relying far too much on Google , plus I ’ve been using Safari for age even though I do n’t actually like it that much .
So I decided to find some newfangled apps to try out and total across anice resourcefull of European , undefendable - origin , or non - profit alternatives for a range of dissimilar services . It introduced me to quite a few apps that are more than good enough to replace what I was using , and although I ’m not hardcore enough to entirely kick Google out of my life , I ’m pretty happy with the results .
What’s so bad about big tech?
The deal we make with businesses like Google , Apple , Meta , Amazon , and the rest period of that crowd is pretty straight . They give us memory access to some of the best mathematical product and overhaul out there for no upfront price , and we take into account them to roll up every kind of data they can get their script on and sell it to whoever they require .
Some of us are very cognisant of this and others do n’t really think about it that much . If you ’re aware and go for , that ’s totally o.k. . The problem is when people feel coerced into accepting this deal .
Because — suppose about it — if you need to find oneself a newfangled restaurant , hotel , or store , does any other map software endue you to the extentGoogle Mapsdoes ? Not really . Google does n’t just provide these products for “ free , ” it has also used its long - standing influence , resource , and user base to make them almost unbeatable . Everyone you know expend them , competition get bought out or struggle to acquire adhesive friction , and Google ’s products just keep acquire and develop all the while .
This defecate the great unwashed find like they have no choice but to practice them , even if they would ideally prefer to keep their data private . This problem is nothing young but as figures like Tim Cook , Jeff Bezos , Mark Zuckerberg , andSundar Pichaiweasel their room into President Trump ’s inner roundabout in the pastime of relax regulations , thing could in spades get bad .
What’s the alternative?
Across the world , different problem are dealt with in different way . Big technical school likes to stick with the United States because it give them the most freedom and benefits . Over in the European Union , which is where I am , there ’s more of a button to force company to comply with a exacting solidifying of external standards .
A good glob of these standard centre on the shelter of personal data , a concept the EU take so gravely that it ’s even included in theCharter of Fundamental Rights — right next to the right to espouse and start a family . Three significant implications of the EU ’s General Data Protection Regulation ( GDPR ) include :
company that break the GDPR law can get fined up to 20 million euro or 4 % of their world sales , whichever is higher . Part of the problem with big technical school is the secrecy and uncertainty — we do n’t even cognize what the spoilt matter they ’re doing with our data could be . With European company , those worst - case scenario are take off the table , along with a clump of lesser chafe too .
It ’s not just European companies , though . There are non - profit system and exposed - source undertaking all over the human beings , and many of these are institutionalise to data privateness and protection , too . Now , let ’s look at some examples .
Browsers
web browser are one of the easiest switches you’re able to make because there are a lot of good option out there if you desire to shop around , and if not , you’re able to just flip toFirefoxin about ten second flat and never look back .
Firefox is free , open - origin , and developed by the American non - profit Mozilla Foundation . Unlike most of the recommendation in this clause , you will definitely have heard of Firefox — it ’s the fourth most pop World Wide Web browser app in the globe .
It only takes a few seconds to download and you’re able to even import your web web browser history and your bookmarker from whatever you used before . Not every switch I ’ll suggest is easy , but this one truly is .
I would say the median soul will be able to use Firefox without any issues and without missing any features they ’re used to on Chrome , Edge , or Safari . Plus , it blocks advert trackers , stops ill-tempered - site cookies , and prevents exploiter fingerprinting . Its Android and iOS apps are also really nice and feature cross - platform syncing that lets you get at your tabs from wherever you want .
Otherbrowser optionsinclude theVivaldi web browser(Norway),Mullvad web browser(Sweden),Brave(United States ) , andDuckDuckGo(United States ) .
Search engines
If you ’re going to exchange browsers , you might as well switch search engines as well . At the moment , most independent lookup engines are actually built on top of existing substructure — in other words , they still use Google ’s lookup index number , Bing ’s hunt index , or both to get their result .
This is n’t the end of the world — it ’s still possible to build a privacy - focalise hunting locomotive while using these search index number , it ’s just inauspicious that they have to rely on Google and Microsoft to operate .
My hunting locomotive of choice , Qwant(France ) has recently teamed up with German search engineEcosiato start developing aEuropean search indexso they and other independent search engine can last stop relying on outside tech . We should hopefully start to see some of the results of this projection this year .
There ’s no need to wait , however . you could download the Qwant extension for Safari , Chrome , Edge , or Firefox to make it your default search engine today and initiate benefit from a little excess privateness . Independent search locomotive also utilize their own search algorithms , which intend you may get a break of serve from the same old “ top - ranking SEO posts ” that plague Google properly now .
Plus , since Qwant is n’t tracking your searches , the results Sir Frederick Handley Page you get is n’t cut to you . Everyone draw the same resultant role — the ones that are most relevant to your keywords . Qwant does still use advertising , but the ad are untailored and there ’s a lot less of them .
Qwant is n’t as loaded with features as Google Search is but it is always expanding . It has even stick out on the AI bandwagon and started adding AI - generated summary to sure types of question . Other search engine selection includeStartpage(Netherlands),Good(Germany),metaGer(Germany),swisscows(Switzerland ) , andDuckDuckGo(United States ) .
Email providers
It ’s loose and easy to vary your internet browser or your search locomotive engine , but email providers are a trivial unlike . While fix free plans are available with some Service , if you want both privacy and functionality from your electronic mail supplier , you will most likely have to pay with money ( not information ) .
There are toomany optionsto list here but the most well - cognize ( and the one I kick the bucket with ) isProton . It was created in Switzerland by scientist at CERN , which just sounds cool , and all of the data is encrypted so no one , include Proton , can see your emails . It also protect you from trackers , which record what you read and come home on and send the information to sender and advertisers .
One of the great thing about Proton is that if you ’re uncoerced to pay a monthly fee , it also has a few other service you could take advantage of — a calendar , aVPN , a single file drive , and a password manager . With one subscription , you’re able to kick Gmail , Google Drive , and Google Calendar to the kerb .
you could also create multiple email addresses and straight-out aliases to sign up for Service without testify your e-mail . Plus , you could set up forwarding to get all of your Gmail sent to your Protonmail — this mean you could start using Proton straight off but take as long as you desire to slowly transition your accounts over to your new email .
Translation tools
If you throw thing into Google Translate a lot , why not tryDeepLinstead ? It does n’t work with quite as many languages as Google but the accuracy and legibility of its translations are better . Plus it ’s a German mathematical product , so no need to vex if someone is watch out what you paste into it .
Grammar checkers
Grammarlyis the best - hump grammar chequer around andaccording to its website , it is GDPR compliant . If you ’re concerned in an choice , however , you could essay out the opened - sourceLanguageTool(Germany ) .
It has both free and devote tiers and it also offers a text editor in chief with basic formatting and the ability to hide all of the suggestion and such until you ’re quick to go through them . you could also make temporary or permanent text — the temporary ones will disappear after seven days . If you prefer to have suggestion pop up wherever you ’re writing , there are add - ons for various parole C.P.U. , browsers , and e-mail providers .
Maps
There are a fewalternative navigation appsyou can try out but I wo n’t lie in , this switch is a hard sell . The jazz group of Google Maps and Google Business profiles is extremely muscular , and it ’s not an well-off thing for competitors to replicate .
When I contrive trip to my favorite vacation destination , Japan , I expend hours on Google Maps zooming in on interesting - looking locations and find young hotels , attractions , and eateries to bookmark . A couple of class ago , I soar upwards in on a little ness of Japan ’s smallest main island and regain a tiny glamping site on top of a mountain . I book it and it flex out to be the good part of that tripper . So , Google Maps is unquestionably one of the products I find strong to permit go of .
I ’m currently adjudicate out a Czech alternative calledMapy.cz — the single-valued function and route figuring feature are good and it does have some limited business information , too . This kind of stuff is mainly user - generate subject so we can only get a dependable competition to Google Maps if we facilitate build up it ourselves . It ’s a lot of work , though .
Instant messaging apps
Changing the app you use to chat with all of your friends , family , and colleague is another one that can be a small difficult . If everyone is already using WhatsApp or Messenger or social media apps like Instagram to send messages , it ’s a mass easier to just follow the crowd .
As I say before , though — every little helps . If you’re able to just convert your closest kinsperson phallus and friends to download an encrypted messaging app likeSignalor one of theEuropean option , that ’s a lot of data you’re able to keep safe and secret .
I ’ve used this app for years , and it has never failed me . It also has an unofficialdirectory of stickersthat are super fun and easy to download . you may get the app on Mac , Windows , and Linux — and it has mobile apps too , of class .
Other digital products
TheEuropean Alternativeswebsite includes many more categories than I ’ve cover here , include swarm computing platforms , data file hosting services , managed DNS provider , video conferencing software , and more . It ’s a smashing resourcefulness , so go forward and utilise it !
You might not be able to protect every driblet of your data but if you do n’t care the melodic theme of Google scanning every electronic mail you get or Meta peeking at all of your individual conversations , think back that you’re able to do something about it .
