I’m concerned that my dependence on big tech companies like Google and Facebook is problematic, and no longer worth the risk. Here I talk about my (work in progress) switch away from big tech.
2025-05-19
Richard Keech
TLDR
One year ago a partial list of products and services I used and depended upon for my daily digital life included:
- Facebook;
- Google, for Gmail, Maps, Photos, Calendar, YouTube;
- Dropbox;
- Netflix and many other video streamers
- Spotify
- Google search engine
- Chrome browser
Since then I’ve cracked the toughest nut, and I’m now free from my dependence on Google’s search engine, Chrome browser, Gmail and Calendar. But I still depend on Google for YouTube. I’ve also ditched Netflix.
Why bother?
I guess many things pointed me in the direction of realising that my dependence on Gmail wasn’t healthy. I have been concerned about the extent of US Government surveillance since reading about the revelations of Edward Snowden about ten years ago. However, complacency kept me locked in.
Address = identity. It occurred to me about a year ago that in using Gmail, I wasn’t just using it as an email system. The way we all use email means that our email address is our primary digital identity. My many and varied digital subscriptions depend on this email address to identify me. And the functioning email service itself is essential if I need to verify who I am. So, that gmail.com address wasn’t just how to send to me, it was me from an online point of view.
A good article that outlines concerns about using US-based services was published by WIRED here. It includes this helpful list of alternatives.
Digital sovereignty. As I write this piece, it’s just become news that Microsoft is blocking the email services of staff of the ICC. Could there be a better example of the need for digital sovereignty.
Enshittification. Another big factor in me pushing back is enshittification – the way that big online services seem to get progressively shittier. The term was coined by Cory Doctorow in 2023 here. A great example for me was Netflix introducing advertising on my paid subscription. This led me to ditch Netflix.
Tired of being the product. There is the old saying that if you get a service for free, then you are the product. I guess I reached the point where the convenience of ‘free’ was no longer enough.
Getting rid of Gmail
Easy and hard. Extracting myself from Gmail was a big undertaking. Setting myself up with a new, paid, service and telling my friends my new address was the easy part. The hard part related to the fact that my address was my digital identity. It was the hard slog of identifying every online account that I had, and switching the address to the new address. At last count I have ~150 subscriptions or accounts that use my email address.
Protonmail. I chose Proton’s mail service as my Gmail replacement. I had become aware that it was widely used by journalists as well as people I knew who understood digital privacy. Key points about Proton are:
- commercial email service
- based in Switzerland
- highly secure with zero-access encryption;
- reasonably good feature compatibility with Gmail;
- includes file storage, contacts, calendar, password manager;
- lets me host addresses for other domains.
See this interesting interview with Proton founder Andy Yen.
Browser and search engine
I’ve switched my browser from Chrome to Brave. I’ve switched my search engine to Brave as well. See this piece by Naomi Brockwell on choosing a new browser.
Work in progress
At the time of writing, I still have a way to go. The next big job is moving my photos. I’m not happy with Facebook and am looking at alternatives.
Music. I still use Spotify, but the return to musicians is terrible. I’m considering switching, but I haven’t decided where. Interesting discussion on this here and here and here.
Wish me luck.
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