Europeans seek ‘digital sovereignty’ as US tech firms embrace Trump | Reuters
Across Europe, more people are rethinking their dependence on big U.S. tech companies like Google, Apple, Meta, and Amazon — especially since Donald Trump returned to the White House.
At a Berlin market stall run by Topio, a non-profit helping users switch to independent software, demand is booming. Volunteers there help people remove U.S.-controlled apps and install alternative systems on phones, laptops, and tablets.
Why the Shift?
Europeans are growing uneasy about their digital reliance on the U.S., especially as Trump signals less interest in supporting European security and kicks off a new trade war. There’s also rising concern over data privacy and political influence from tech giants closely tied to the Trump administration.
“It’s not just about privacy anymore,” says Topio founder Michael Wirths. “Now it’s political. People feel exposed.”
Recent events have only deepened those fears. Big Tech CEOs were front and center at Trump’s inauguration. Elon Musk was even a key advisor — until their relationship soured. Meanwhile, President Biden had previously warned about the rising power of a “tech industrial complex” that threatens democracy.
Europeans Seeking Alternatives
There’s a growing push for what experts call “digital sovereignty” — the idea that Europe should control its own digital infrastructure instead of relying on American companies.
- Ecosia, a Berlin-based eco-friendly search engine, has seen a 27% increase in EU traffic. It now holds 1% of Germany’s search engine market.
- ProtonMail, a Swiss encrypted email provider, reported an 11.7% increase in European users.
- Messaging apps like Signal are gaining traction, while use of WhatsApp remains flat.
“Even my hairdresser asked me what apps she should switch to,” said Maria Farrell, a UK internet policy expert.
However, U.S. giants still dominate. Google alone received 10.3 billion visits from the EU in February, compared to Ecosia’s 122 million. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, earned nearly $100 billion in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa last year — nearly a third of its global revenue.
Germany Takes Action
Germany’s government is leading efforts to reduce dependence on U.S. tech:
- Their coalition deal promises greater use of open-source software and local cloud systems.
- In Schleswig-Holstein, a regional government now requires all public IT to run on open-source tools.
- Germany also funded Ukraine’s access to Eutelsat, a French satellite internet provider, instead of Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Still, experts say a full break from U.S. tech is nearly impossible. Much of today’s internet — from cloud hosting to basic infrastructure — still depends on American companies.
Even Ecosia and France’s Qwant rely partially on results from Google or Bing, and run on cloud platforms owned by the very tech giants they aim to avoid.
“You can’t fully escape U.S. tech right now,” admits Bill Budington from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “It’s everywhere — from notifications to how websites load.”
The Grassroots Movement
Online forums like Reddit’s BuyFromEU (211,000 members) are full of users sharing tips and switching to alternatives:
- “Just canceled Dropbox and moved to Proton Drive,” one post reads.
- Decentralized platforms like Mastodon had a brief spike after Musk bought Twitter (now X).
- Signal saw a 7% jump in usage across Europe in March.
But activists like Robin Berjon believe that voluntary switching alone won’t be enough.
“The market is too locked in. We need real regulation to challenge Silicon Valley’s hold.”
Key Takeaways:
- European users are increasingly turning to local and privacy-focused digital services.
- Concerns are both political and personal — from Trump’s policies to Big Tech’s power.
- While the movement is growing, breaking away from U.S. tech fully remains a huge challenge.
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