It is time for Europeans to act about finding our alternatives to social media and digital technology now that it is becoming clear that the US media and tech giants are using their dominance to produce results that are damaging our society.
Too many children are being hooked on to smart phone apps that are distractions from other much more important matters like education, reading and normal social contacts. Their data and the data of adults from social media and browsers are being used for ever more intrusive matters. We need transparency and better controls with European regulation – that will not be possible because US social media and tech giants don’t want that.
Thus, we are publishing a series of factual articles on these alternatives. We are presenting European alternatives as well as Nordic alternatives. We are a totally independent media and receive not cash backs from any of the named companies. Nor are our listings in any way recommendations about security or costs. It is entirely up to the consumer to make a considered choice, but we have endeavored to ensure the names presented here are reasonable and safe alternatives.
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The choices are already getting bigger – each month there are developments and newcomers because Europe is increasingly seeking digital independence by promoting local, ethical alternatives to US tech giants.
With rising concerns over data privacy and monopolistic practices, European-developed apps are gaining traction. Below is a factual overview of European alternatives to some of the most popular American platforms like Facebook, X (Twitter), WhatsApp, Google, Microsoft Office 365, and Amazon.
Alternatives to Facebook
- Mastodon (Germany): A decentralized, open-source social network, part of the Fediverse.
- Framasphere (France): Based on the Diaspora protocol, emphasizing privacy and data ownership.
Alternatives to X (formerly Twitter)
- Mastodon (Germany): Offers Twitter-like microblogging without centralized control.
- Pleroma (Iceland): Lightweight, customizable microblogging platform.
Alternatives to WhatsApp
- Threema (Switzerland): Privacy-focused messaging with end-to-end encryption.
- Element (UK): Built on Matrix protocol, used by EU governments for secure communication.
Alternatives to Google
- Search: Qwant (France), Ecosia (Germany).
- Email: ProtonMail (Switzerland), Tutanota (Germany).
- Docs: CryptPad (France), OnlyOffice (Latvia), Collabora Online (Germany).
Alternatives to Microsoft Office 365
- LibreOffice (Germany): Free, open-source office suite.
- OnlyOffice (Latvia) and Collabora Office (UK/Germany): Enterprise-ready tools compatible with Microsoft formats.
Alternatives to Amazon
- Retail: Greenweez (France), Fairmondo (Germany).
- Books: Buch7 (Germany), Librelivre (France).
- Cloud: Nextcloud (Germany), Scaleway (France), Hetzner (Germany).
These platforms demonstrate that Europe can offer strong, privacy-respecting alternatives to dominant US tech platforms. Supported by ethical frameworks and robust data protection laws, these tools align with European values of transparency and user rights.
