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I've updated the Digital Independence cheat sheet for leaving big tech (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 month ago by lukakopajtic@lemmy.world to c/buyeuropean@feddit.uk

46 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I never imagined the original post would go so viral and be seen by +6M people. But I guess it shows there’s real momentum — and the perfect time to finally escape big tech’s grip.

I went through hundreds of reposts of the image and took in feedback from community comments. I’ve replaced USA-centralized apps like Brave and Bluesky with more open alternatives, and added self-hosting indicators.

As many of you recommended, I’ve also created an online version with descriptions that we can constantly update and improve.

Drop a comment if you have suggestions for a better alternative, improved description, or a feature for the site. Let's break free together!

top 46 comments

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[-] absquatulate@lemmy.world 31 points 1 month ago

As with all impromptu lists, this one is pretty flawed. For example, as much as I love it, lineageOS is not useful for "digital independence" in any meaningful sense, since it's just a more cleaned up version of android. Or PeerTube, which can't really be considered a realistic alternative to yt. It's fine in itself, but it's so small and so hard to scale that you might just be better off giving up the yt format altogether. And then there's Thunderbird. I love it but it's a CLIENT, you'll still need a mail provider.

[-] psud@aussie.zone 4 points 1 month ago

LineageOS is worse than that. You can't have it and also have local security as you cannot lock your phone bootloader with an unsigned image. You can't protect yourself from anyone with physical access to the phone.

[-] jnod4@lemmy.ca 3 points 4 weeks ago

So the moment you get lineage anyone with physical access can install bootloader things in your phone? Eg cerberus?

[-] psud@aussie.zone 3 points 4 weeks ago

Can install any software

[-] rippersnapper@lemm.ee 1 points 4 weeks ago

Not to mention the fact that a bunch of banking apps won’t work on LineageOS. You can try magisk as a workaround for some, but others just won’t.

[-] Kajika@lemmy.ml 1 points 4 weeks ago

If you search about it you can lock your bootloader with LineageOS.

[-] Libb@jlai.lu 21 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

LibreWolf is not an alternative to chrome, it's a fork of FF. It won't run Chrome extensions... which chrome users would likely expect to be able to run.

For a Chrome alternative, I use Vivaldi (which is based in the EU)
As a Firefox alternative, I use Waterfox

[-] dunidane@lemmy.sdf.org 8 points 1 month ago

What separates waterfox from firefox or librewolf?

[-] Forester@pawb.social 7 points 1 month ago

Different Dev teams

[-] blind3rdeye@lemm.ee 5 points 4 weeks ago

LibreWolf is listed as an alternative web browser; not an alternative way to run Chrome extensions.

Similarly, listing Mint as an alternative to Windows is about having an alternative computer OS. It is not about having an alternative way to run your Windows apps.

And Lemmy is an alternative 'ranked forum' (or whatever you want to call this). It is not an alternative way to read reddit threads.

[-] swelter_spark@reddthat.com 4 points 4 weeks ago

Any browser is an alternative to any other browser, IMO. They all have the same purpose.

[-] Libb@jlai.lu 1 points 4 weeks ago

Any browser is an alternative to any other browser, IMO.

But they can't run the same extensions, hence the fact that there is store for FF browsers and another one for chromium browsers. Since people can be very picky regarding their favorite extensions. So, suggesting some FF-based browser as an alternative to a Chromium-based one is the best way to disappoint quite a few potential users... for no good reason.

They all have the same purpose.

Like all computer or phone have the same purpose, still people will prefer one brand over the others, on even in one brand, one model of the other. Despite all of them being phones (or computers). Should we forbid people any choice because you consider it's not important in you use case?

[-] MrFinnbean@lemmy.world 3 points 4 weeks ago

Tbh people who care about their extensions is small (and loud) minority who most likely know how to search browser fitting for them without this chart.

If something works for 95% of people you dont need to cater for the rest.

[-] swelter_spark@reddthat.com 2 points 4 weeks ago

If someone asked for EU-based alternatives to a computer or phone they already owned, I would make suggestions based on my knowledge of the quality and performance of the products without giving any special consideration to the brand. I do absolutely consider all computers to be alternatives to each other and all phones to be alternatives to each other within this context. Finding a product that meets one individual's specific needs is outside the scope of a chart like this, I think.

[-] lath@lemmy.world 18 points 1 month ago

It's a start, but the goal should be to have multiple options. Any monopoly can either be bought or abused and we should work towards making those as hard as possible.

[-] lmuel@sopuli.xyz 6 points 1 month ago

While I’d generally agree, I don’t think fediverse platforms having a monopoly is as dangerous.

Social media requires a sort of monopoly to work well, I think federation is a good approach here.

[-] lath@lemmy.world 2 points 4 weeks ago

Perhaps. It's still early to tell.

[-] asdfasdfasdf@lemmy.world 12 points 4 weeks ago

IMO Gmail -> Thunderbird is a bit flawed since you'd still need a service provider. It could be Thunderbird + Posteo / others (please no ProtonMail).

[-] bobotom4444@lemmy.world 1 points 4 weeks ago

What is wrong with Protonmail?

[-] easily3667@lemmus.org 6 points 4 weeks ago

They support ✨nazis✨

[-] Mailloche@lemmy.ca 3 points 4 weeks ago

They do?

[-] hubobes@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

No they don't. Their CEO is an idiot and said that Republicans are the party of small business and did so on the official Proton social media channels. But it clearly is their opinion and they never said they support Republicans and Trump on anything else.

[-] easily3667@lemmus.org 4 points 4 weeks ago

Ok Nazi apologist

[-] hubobes@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 weeks ago

👍

[-] Kajika@lemmy.ml 2 points 4 weeks ago

"CEO" is the company, we are still in a capitalist society. The board would also count but we can very safely assume they're agreeing.

[-] easily3667@lemmus.org 2 points 4 weeks ago

Yes

[-] paraphrand@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I don’t think piracy is a proper alternative to paying for commercial content.

Free content is.

So it shouldn’t be on this chart IMO. It’s a separate topic. It’s not a good look to lump piracy in with open/free software ideology.

[-] Kajika@lemmy.ml 1 points 4 weeks ago

There's no piracy as alternative in the list.

[-] BlastboomStrice@mander.xyz 7 points 1 month ago

Hello, very nice guide:)

I'd just like to bring to your attention, a very thorough comparison of messengers you might want to check😄

https://eylenburg.github.io/im_comparison.htm

[-] MischievousGT@feddit.org 4 points 1 month ago

Last time I used thunderbird was many years ago, like 10 years or so. Can you create a mail adress there? How does it compare to other providers like Tuta, Proton, Posteo and others?

[-] Libb@jlai.lu 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

It's an email client, not an email provider. It can be used to receive/send emails from almost any provider, not to create new ones.

[-] CannedTuna@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 month ago

Yeah, as Thunderbird is just a mail client, and not a provider, it’s not really an “alternative”. It should list StartMail, Mailbox.org, Tutanota, etc. Since people are used to using web clients for emails, I don’t think suggesting a desktop app that still requires an provider is necessary, just creates confusion.

[-] Libb@jlai.lu 3 points 1 month ago

Yes, there are quite a few approximations in the list ;)

in the EU/Western Europe, as an e mail provider I would suggest in no order: maibox.org, proton, tuta and owning your own domain but that one last option (teh best one, imho) may already be too technical for most users.

[-] DaGeek247@fedia.io 5 points 1 month ago

Yeah, I saw that one pretty quick and wondered why they did that. Mailbox.org is a better option than just putting 'thunderbird'.

[-] calisti 4 points 1 month ago

OpenSUSE Linux from Nuremberg!

[-] magnetichuman@fedia.io 3 points 1 month ago

Where can I find the best Android alternative for my old-ass devices that don't support Lineage OS?

[-] MajorHavoc@programming.dev 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

For most of those devices, it depends what your goals are, but many privacy minded folks consider them unsalvageable.

If you can root the device, you could install the latest compatible version of the Android Open Source Project, and then use your newfound root powers to disable components you don't want, to the extent that the older versions of Android support doing so.

Technically, that's all LineageOS is doing for you. So if you're willing to put the effort in, the device can be salvaged. For most of us, it makes more sense to get a newer device, researching what OS-es are supported.

[-] inamorta345@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 month ago

Total noob here, can stremio be used to escape big tech legally?

[-] snail_stampede@midwest.social 2 points 1 month ago

Not really, but big tech breaks the laws all the time so why shouldn't you?

[-] inamorta345@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 month ago

It's not a moral thing, I just don't have the luxury of evading the law like big tech

[-] snail_stampede@midwest.social 1 points 1 month ago

VPNs make it easy and affordable but yeah, if the juice isn't worth the squeeze for you that's understandable. There is a bit of setup/maintenance as well that can get sort of complicated.

[-] vesi@lemm.ee 2 points 1 month ago

Treema. No maytrix

[-] Routhinator@startrek.website 2 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

Its a bit odd to suggest Nextcloud for Google Drive but then leave it off the replacement list for photos and Docs. Use the Memories App in Nextcloud ans add Collabora and you have those features in Nextcloud too. News app = Google Reader, RePod+AntennaPod = Google Podcasts, Nextcloud Talk instead of Google Meet and Zoom. (just add cloud hosted stun/tun server for performance video chat when hosting from home.)

[-] Blaze@feddit.nl 1 points 1 month ago

Nice, thanks!

[-] gon@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago

I didn't want to mention this on Reddit because there's many more people there, but are you guys aware of P-Stream?

It actually replaces Netflix. The legality of the service is... Questionable, at best, however.

[-] yigruzeltil@lemm.ee 1 points 4 weeks ago

Any European email provider who provides free tier and allows more than one personal account, just like Gmail? No problem for me if the amount of free storage is low.

this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2025

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