00:00How many products of these companies are you using?
00:03More and more people are trying to cut them out of their daily lives.
00:06The latest example, the QuitGPT campaign, is asking you to cancel your ChatGPT subscription.
00:12But why?
00:12Critics say OpenAI supports US President Trump.
00:15Reportedly Trump received 25 million dollars from OpenAI President Greg Brockman.
00:20And ICE uses tools powered by OpenAI's ChatGPT in the immigration raids.
00:25Beyond QuitGPT, there's a bigger movement aimed at ditching US big tech altogether.
00:30But how would this work and why should it matter to you?
00:33Digital sovereignty means a nation and the people living there have control over the technology,
00:37data and digital infrastructure they use.
00:40No reliance on foreign powers.
00:41Across Europe, that's becoming a political priority as governments try to reduce reliance on US tech platforms.
00:48Digital sovereignty for me is basically taking back control of the technologies that we use.
00:52I think for the past several decades, we've basically seen this buildup where we have become
00:57really dependent on these American technologies, particularly in the digital sphere, right?
01:02When it comes to the internet and digital services, it's pretty much American services that we're often
01:07using and relying on.
01:08Companies like Google, Meta and Microsoft collect massive amounts of data.
01:12Your searches, your clicks, your messages.
01:15That data can be used for ads shared with authorities or end up in AI systems.
01:20So, what can you actually do?
01:22Instead of Chrome or Edge, you could try European browser alternatives like German-owned Ecosia
01:28and Norway's Vivaldi.
01:29For search, there's Quant.
01:31But here's the catch.
01:32Even Quant and Ecosia still rely partly on results from Bing or Google.
01:36Why?
01:36Because building a full search index is expensive.
01:39But they're working on growing their own.
01:40For messaging, Wire offers an end-to-end encrypted alternative to Slack, Teams and Messenger.
01:46Signal is the messaging app of choice for privacy fanatics.
01:49If you're tired of WhatsApp.
01:51Because even if messages are encrypted, WhatsApp shares user data with parent Meta.
01:55Looking at social media, Blue Sky and Mastodon are alternatives for microblogging apps such
02:00as X and Threads.
02:01For Instagram vibes, check out PixelFed.
02:03These platforms are decentralized.
02:06That means even though Blue Sky and Signal are for example hosted in the US,
02:10no single tech giant owns everything.
02:12As for your email account, there are several providers out there with strong security and
02:16service in Europe.
02:17Proton, Mailbox or Infomaniac to name a few.
02:20But let's be real.
02:21If all your friends use Instagram and WhatsApp, it's hard to leave.
02:24You're practically forced to have accounts with US providers if you want to stay in touch.
02:28Obviously the United States is still very important.
02:31It's not going to be easy to reduce dependence on such a key player,
02:35especially in Canada where I'm from because of geography.
02:38But I also think there's opportunities to start to at least reduce that dependence, right?
02:42And I think this is the moment to seize them.
02:45So, is a different internet even possible?
02:49The Fettiverse is a project that aims to create a new kind of internet where social media works more
02:53like email.
02:54Email works across providers.
02:56You can send from Gmail to Outlook.
02:58Social media doesn't work like that.
02:59If you're on Facebook, you can't follow someone on X.
03:02The Fettiverse wants to fix that.
03:04You sign up once on a platform like Mastodon,
03:06and you can still interact with people using other platforms like Instagram alternative PixelFed.
03:11All these platforms are connected through shared open technology,
03:14so your online life isn't controlled by one single tech giant.
03:17So, would you switch?
03:19Or is convenience more important?
03:21Tell us in the comments.
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