Donald Trump’s aggression is forcing many countries to reconsider their dependence on US tech — but can Europe really carve out its own path?

On #TechWontSaveUs, I spoke with Aline Blankertz to discuss the challenges of digital sovereignty in Europe.

Listen to the full episode: https://techwontsave.us/episode/271_can_europe_end_its_dependence_on_us_tech_w_aline_blankertz

#tech #digitalsovereignty #eutech #donaldtrump #europe

Currently testing our new #chatmail server.

WE LOVE IT!

Thanks @delta
It's so simple!

A new project is underway and Chatmail (DeltaChat) will probably be part of it (still testing).

Coming from Matrix, it is a blessing that these options are finally available (see picture)!

#email #messenger #digitalprivacy #privacy #project #OpenSource #digitalsovereignty #deltachat

A great example for #DigitalSovereignty done right is the French city of @echirolles that not only signs declarations but also uses #FOSS in practice, like #ZorinOS, @bigbluebutton, @libreoffice, @nextcloud and @peertube.

European cities, take note.

Especially those that are members of this coalition: https://citiesfordigitalrights.org/cities

Joining the #European #propaganda team. Here you go: a short guide on how to become a digitally sovereign European citizen.

#BuyEuropean #BuyEU #BuyFromEU #BuyFromEuope #BoycottUSA #BoycottAmerica #BoycottTrump #BoycottMusk #Europe #politics #EUpolitics #customer #digital #browser #AI #Mistral #Qwant #Threema #Ecosia #Vivaldi #Linux #LinuxMint #digitalEurope #digitalSovereignty #Tariffs #stopMusk #stopTrump #trumpism #EU #browser #ChatGPT #searchEngine #FederaliseEurope #ViveLaEurope

We need a free/libre fork of #Android for the public commons. Google cannot be trusted.

Maybe that could be #lineageos or #Graphene, but given that they build on top of Android rather than driving the core development, I'm not certain they would be enough as it stands.

https://9to5google.com/2025/03/26/google-android-aosp-developement-private/

#DigitalSovereignty #eupol #OpenSource #Google #nlnet #SovereignTechAgency

With the Big Tech oligarchs taking more and more power, the time has come to reflect and mobilise more people into action.

Here's my article about that: https://freeknowledge.eu/bigtech-transition-to-sovereignty

#bigtech #transition #digitalsovereignty #MakeSocialsSocialAgain #VamonosJuntas #SomhiJuntes

"If Europe hopes to safeguard its own sovereignty and values, it must strategically decouple and dramatically lessen its dependence on companies that are either seeking confrontation or are otherwise vulnerable to being weaponised by Washington.
Silicon Valley’s top brass have proven increasingly willing to bend the knee to Trump’s regime. Take Sam Altman of OpenAI. While Altman has voiced concerns about the dangers of artificial intelligence, he has also supported a deregulated tech environment under the new president — one that prioritises corporate interests over public safety.

Then, consider the actions of Google. In an apparent attempt to appease Trump’s revisionist worldview, Google quickly renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America”. This gesture goes beyond mere corporate branding; it signals a deeper complicity with an administration that actively seeks to rewrite international norms.

Joel Kaplan, Meta’s global affairs chief, has publicly stated that the company counts on the White House to challenge European governments it felt discriminated by. Mark Zuckerberg, meanwhile, has lobbied Trump to fight European competition fines in a bid to cast them as punitive trade measures.

Alex Karp, chief executive of Palantir, is perhaps the most explicit in expressing his allegiance. While he backed Kamala Harris for president last year, he is proudly aligned with the US and happy to “scare enemies and on occasion kill them”. "

https://www.ft.com/content/30d6f79f-d1ee-49dc-bff5-719f18c1a9e5

#EU #BigTech #USA #DigitalSovereignty

Really, #Europarlement, I see nine social media buttons at the bottom of your site at:

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/portal/en

All to non public values driven, #privacy disrespecting #socialmedia platforms.

How is it possible that there is no #Mastodon button? Mastodon the only truly decentralized, public value driven, #opensource and independent social media platform.

How wil the #EU reach #DigitalSovereignty and #StrategicAutonomy when its #parlement gives such a bad example.

Practice what you preach!

"Every week brings a new chorus of voices demanding that [insert tech giant] must “do better” [...] We’ve become digital peasants, petitioning various lords and kings to please, please fix the internet for us."

https://www.techdirt.com/2025/01/27/empowering-users-not-overlords-overcoming-digital-helplessness/

Yes, maybe you don't like life outside of #youtube . But if you only publish there, you've become a digital peasant subject to the whims of your lord.

Youtube is not my friend, so if you stay confined there, I won't watch you.

#digitalsovereignty

We are excited to announce the partnership between OpenCloud and @CollaboraOffice ! Michael Meeks and Peer Heinlein sealed the beginning of the collaboration today at Univention Summit.
Collabora Online will be seamlessly integrated into OpenCloud. The joint solution combines Collabora Online's comprehensive office suite with OpenCloud's secure, scalable and cloud-native architecture.
👉 https://opencloud.eu/en/news/office-suite-collabora-online-and-opencloud-announce-strategic-partnership

#OpenSource #DigitalSovereignty #FileManagement #DocumentCollaboration

I think the abstract of the white paper is better presented than this summary in the sense that it clarifies that Public != Government and Public != State. As a citizen of a country who, for almost 50 years, had a political police for surveilling common people, I'm very unease with the concept of sovereignty. And while I'm not a full-fledged anarchist, I see myself very much as a libertarian communist. As such, I give much importance to the concept of democratic deliberation throughout all social sectors. At the same time, there's no solution to capitalism that doesn't include a stronger internationalism.

"In a new white paper I co-authored with Cecilia Rikap, Cédric Durand, Edemilson Paraná, and Paolo Gerbaudo, we make the case that countries have another option. Instead of being forced to choose between the US and China, governments should work together to make the necessary investments to build physical infrastructure and develop digital platforms and services that serve their people and the planet, instead of the dominant geopolitical forces.

We lay out a series of policy proposals that envision a wholly different vision for digital technology — one that returns power to governments and their citizens outside the United States and China, and that ensures technological development is reoriented toward public flourishing instead of maximizing the profits of tech companies and the power of the countries they’re headquartered in. Tech discourse often positions the government as an inherent threat to people’s rights, while far too often letting corporations off the hook. But if we’re ever to seriously challenge the power of major tech companies, the power of government will need to play an essential role.

Our proposal is an ambitious one — and a radical one as well. But given the circumstances, it’s time to be bold..."

https://disconnect.blog/why-we-must-reclaim-digital-sovereignty/

#DigitalSovereignty #BigTech #SiliconValley #Imperialism

Hot takes for Europe to stand up to Trump and the US ignore a crucial reality: Trump's supporters are embedded across Europe, even in its capitals. Only existential threats – whether blanket tariffs or further Russian expansion – could force European unity?

#USA #uspol #digitalsovereignty #ukraine