Breaking up with bad tech can be complicated. But often less than you think.
There are a lot of reasons why I’d really rather not be reliant on US technology platforms like Google, Meta, Microsoft or OpenAI. These companies frighten me, not because of what they could do to me, but because of what they are doing to our children, our vulnerable communities, our democracies, our fundamental human rights.
I’m just one person, but that doesn’t make my actions futile. If I quit Gmail, that individual act influences all the people in my life, the people in their lives, and the culture surrounding us all. Even if others don’t do what I choose to do, at least they will know it’s possible.
And as Paris Marx writes:
“If we can reduce the customer base for the dominant players and show there’s a market for a different way of approaching digital technology, that could help incentivize more non-US options and even get governments to put real resources behind a push for digital sovereignty.”
Paris Marx, Getting off US tech: a guide
Are you ready?
So, want to dump a tech product that you really don’t want to be associated with any more? Here’s a simple flowchart with five yes/no questions to help you decide what you can do about it.
Or, to access a printable version, download:
1. Do you need the functions it provides?
(E.g., to perform your work, to keep your job, to meet your basic functional needs)
2. Is there an alternative tech product that you could switch to?
(E.g., free or similarly-priced, has the same functions, or at least the ones you use)
3. Are there systems beyond your control that would prevent you from switching?
(E.g., the tech product is used by your employer, your friends or peer group, or to access essential services)
4. Can you influence these systems?
(E.g., persuade other people to switch with you, lobby institutions to switch, secure a discount for the alternative tech product)
5. Is using the tech product an unhealthy habit for you?
(E.g., addictive, compulsive, peer pressure-driven)
Use your influence to guide change, then…
Switch to the alternative, and then…
Dump the tech.
Take your time to find other ways to meet your needs, then dump it.
It’s not feasible to dump the tech yet.
That’s understandable. Either a feasible alternative doesn’t exist, or you are in an environment right now that makes it impossible for you to stop using the tech product.
That doesn’t mean you can never say goodbye, but for now, it’s not within your control. There might be ways to influence change in the longer term. For example…
Ways of influencing tech use change
Talk to your friends and family
Who are the most important people in your life, the ones you can’t afford to lose in this breakup? For example, I transitioned from WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to the Signal app. Many family members and friends had been using these other apps for decades — there was a genuine fear that they would choose the platform over me.
They didn’t.
In the first three days of transferring my social messaging to Signal, I was joined by my wife, brother, sister-in-law, my (divorced) parents, a dozen good friends and a professional community of practice that had previously been on WhatsApp.
You matter more to them than the platform.
And if you don’t, either there is something more sinister at play, or they are less important to your community than you perhaps thought they were.
Rally your community
As I mentioned, one of my first networks to move across to Signal was a community of practice. This was made up mostly of people I have never met in person, all of whom lead educational practice across Australia. We have wildly diverging opinions on many things, including technology. I knew they wouldn’t move just for me — but it turned out that many of them had been wanting to switch over for a while.
Yes, that was a stroke of luck for me. But it does also serve as a reminder: other people want to get off this ride too.
Start by asking. If they’re not already aware of the problems, share what information you can. The tricky part (believe me, I know I’m very bad at this) is not making people feel you’re shaming them for their current platform choices.
This is hard for all of us, and it starts with acknowledging that. Both Meta and Google have been engaged in antitrust practices (buying up and monopolising their markets, so that there are no alternatives) for years.
But demand is increasing for more ethical, more secure, more sovereign tech, to meet the needs of individuals, organisations and communities.
So start by asking — you might be surprised what you hear.
Share what works, and ask for advice
Quality alternatives are starting to rise. I’ve not done a lot of exploring yet, but I’ve switched to the following, and can recommend:
- Email: from Gmail to Proton Mail
- Messaging: from Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp to Signal
- Browser: from Google Chrome to Brave
- Search: from Google Search to DuckDuckGo
- Website: from Substack to WordPress
- PDF reader: from Adobe Reader to Foxit
- Image editing: from Adobe Photoshop to Krita
If you have other suggestions, please sound off in the comments below!
There’s (always) more to do, and I don’t have enough control to do all of it now. I still use Outlook and Gmail for my work email accounts, because those are the enterprise options. I’m still famously on LinkedIn, which is a cesspit of right wing algorithmic suppression. I have needs. One of them is money, and money cannot be ignored. But we all deserve to have as much control of our own digital environments as possible.
The Mind File 
Leave a comment