I can live with that: I have spent most of my life without using any AI, so for the few remaining years, I think I can manage to limit my AI usage as much as possible 
In my opinion, AI has more disadvantages than advantages ā¦ and I sincerely hope the whole AI industry crashes!!!
Donāt we have other, more pressing issues to invest billions and billions of dollars and lots of energy in???
All these platforms still track you when you visit any random website, even if you donāt use them anymore. You also need to consider a strict ad blocker, like PiHole or AdGuard.
Your ISP is also tracking you. That is easily solved with Quad9 DNS or VPNs.
Your emails can also be traced, even if using PGP. PGP only prevents people from reading your email.
The credit card companies know everything you do online. You should also consider your digital spending. I know people who only pay in cash. However, the government also knows about your money as banks report things back to the central bank, and you file your taxes every year.
There are just too many things to completely hide yourself from prying eyes, and it is hard to switch a few things.
For example, YouTube, thereās not much of an alternative. Same for streaming services, unless you want to use the alternative methods.
Family and friends will still be on such platforms, and if you want to reach some of them, you still need the given platform. The best is to limit the interaction and what you share online, instead of nuking every single major tech app.
As a tech person, the best advice I can give is for you to run services locally on your network. It is a lot of work to set up your own infra, and it comes with its own problems. That is why I donāt run everything, but only a few things, mainly data storage.
For email, I can recommend Migadu and Proton (which has similar services to Google), but there are many other European privacy-friendly services.
For phone, thereās nothing at the Android or iOS level, the best option is still Android, but a degoogled version of it. Apple is also very privacy-friendly in its own way.
For PC, Linux is great. Iāve been daily driving it since the 2010s. Ubuntu is a good start, but there are many other distros, I use openSUSE. SteamOS is a Windows killer for gaming.
I have spent time trying the same, and I decided that the best is not to stop using it, but limit the things I upload to their servers.
Yeah, I know!
I donāt wanna go in hiding, UNA bomber style
Just wanna get rid of dependencies, be it big tech or roque & unfriendly states.
If some company or some state decides to switch off digital access for Europeans, I want to keep using my devices, thatās the basic idea.
Also, I want to make it as hard as possible to access my data, hence GDPR / DSA compliance.
But I am realistic: there will be trade offs. That will be a problem for another day ā¦
I expect this little project to go in small steps, taking one or two years..
I run quite a lot of services locally anyways, so thatās good - I have 80-100TByte local server space, just saying
Linux turns out to be an issue, especially for music production. As long as plugins (VST) donāt run properly, I will remain on Windows.
yeah for one thing it would make it harder to send your manifestos
LOL!!!
Iāll post it at TalkingBass
Thatās basically where Im at. I really really want to move to Linux, I donāt like what Microsoft is doing with all their agentic bullshit. But I spend a great deal of times playing video games, and while gaming on Linux is currently in the best place thatās ever been, using gyro for aiming is still a complete bitch and all of my controllers have gyro. Lol. Thatās the wall for me. Iām hoping to pick up a second (cheap) computer in the meantime this year to play around with Linux (using Bazzite, a gaming-centered distro) more extensively without losing my main rig to do it. It works great on Steam, but any other launcher is a problem getting gyro to work with Proton.
Meanwhile, Iām still going to do what I can to minimize my footprint. I just canāt vibe with the idea of not changing anything if you canāt fix everything.
That was in fact what was holding me back for quite a long time.
But with everything happening currently there is a need for a plan B.
I have three Dell Optiplex Micros lying around, that I use for experiments. Two of them run Hackintosh, but one does nothing, so that will be my experimental LINUX machine.
Iām now in the process of choosing a distro
I will install all my apps one by one, test and retest, and see how it performs. Hopefully I can fix the d@mn VST challengeā¦
EDIT
Bazzite has a great desktop. Running windows apps will require knowledge of Bottles, which manages Wine, Proton, DXVK (DX11 to Vulcan) and VKD3D (DX12 to Vulcan).
I used PCLOS as a family distro on all our PCs for years. Itās very windows-like and intuitive, might check that out.
Bazzite (and SteamOS) are both basically just linux + Crossover (which Valve modified and have a new name, but itās still Crossover) with a nicer looking desktop/game launcher.
Crossover is a gaming optimized wrapper around WINE.
None of this is magic. Crossover is actually a nice product, it takes a lot of the tedium you would normally have with WINE.
Iāve done all this several times now, ranging from doing all the winecfg stuff myself up through using Crossover completely and never touching a config file.
Itās still not fully baked (as of the last time I tried it, which was about six months ago). Thereās lots and lots of compatibility issues with various games and other apps.
(interestingly, PS5ās OS is based on FreeBSD with a lot of Sony modifications and game development APIs. And of course MacOS is based on Darwin, which is based on CMUās Mach kernel in another BSD derivative. Unix itself is fine for gaming, but really works better when the game devs need to specifically target it. Compatibility layers like WINE/Crossover/Proton are simply always going to have janky issues).
I use PCs mostly for playing video games and Word. Before I am advised on suitable word processors, I use grammar extensions and submitting to an editor requires specific formatting and that is so much easier in Word. I mean, I want to get rejected because my writing is bad not my formatting, you only get one chance.
I have a lot more worries on my mind than big tech perusing my photos I took of Babymetal on Onedrive. Or my bass tab collection.
I also donāt consider open source any safer.
Here, I asked Gemini for you: (ps i used to be anti-Microsoft back in the mid 90s and i gave up on that 
)
This is a fantastic, ambitious project. You have already done the āheavy liftingā by switching your daily drivers (Browser, Email, Office). Because you are prioritizing European compliance (GDPR/DSA), Open Source, and independence, you have a specific path forward that avoids the common āUS-centricā privacy advice.
Here is a roadmap to tackle the remaining āBig Techā pillars, specifically tailored to your European/Open Source constraints.
You are likely still using Google for Maps, Passwords, and Translation. These are the easiest next steps.
| Current Tool | The European / Open Source Switch | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Google Maps | OsmAnd (Netherlands) or Organic Maps (Estonia) | OsmAnd is the power-user choice (offline maps, granular detail). Organic Maps is a cleaner, simpler fork ideal for quick navigation. Both use OpenStreetMap data and are strictly GDPR compliant. |
| Google Translate | DeepL (Germany) | While proprietary, DeepL is European, GDPR-compliant, and vastly superior to Google in translation quality. For a strict Open Source alternative, look at LibreTranslate (self-hostable). |
| Google Passwords | KeePassXC or Proton Pass (Switzerland) | KeePassXC is local-only (database file), meaning zero āforeign influence.ā Proton Pass is cloud-based but encrypted and Swiss-domiciled. Bitwarden is also excellent (Open Source) but US-based (though you can self-host it). |
| YouTube | NewPipe or LibreTube (Android) | These are āfrontendā clients. They let you watch YouTube content without a Google account, without ads, and without tracking. |
| Phone Link | KDE Connect | Open Source alternative to link your Android to Windows. Share clipboards, files, and SMS over your local WiFi (no cloud). |
You mentioned Android will be last because you ādonāt know alternatives.ā The good news is you do not need to leave Android hardware to leave Google. You can replace the Operating System on your current phones.
The Recommendation: /e/OS (by Murena)
Origin: France (European non-profit).
Concept: It is a āde-Googledā version of Android. It looks and feels exactly like the Android you know, but all Google trackers and services have been stripped out.
Compliance: Fully GDPR compliant.
Ecosystem: They offer āMurena Cloudā (based on Nextcloud), which syncs your Contacts, Calendar, and Photos automatically, replacing the Google backend.
App Store: It has its own āApp Loungeā that lets you download standard Android apps (anonymously) if you still need them.
Verification: Check if your current phone models are supported on their device list.
You are waiting for Linux to provide ā100% proper Windows emulation.ā
The Reality Check: You have already solved the emulation problem. You switched to LibreOffice, Thunderbird, Brave, and Signal. These are āCross-Platformā apps.
The Pivot: You donāt need Linux to emulate Windows; you need Linux to run the apps you use. Since you have already migrated your software stack to tools that run natively on Linux, you barely need Windows emulation anymore.
The Remaining Gap (Gaming/Legacy): If you game, Proton (developed by Valve) is now exceptional. In 2026, it runs the vast majority of Windows games near-perfectly.
Distro Recommendation: Linux Mint or Zorin OS (Ireland). Zorin specifically allows you to select a āWindows-likeā layout that makes the transition seamless.
2FA (Google Authenticator): Switch to Aegis Authenticator (Android, Open Source, encrypted backups) or Ente Auth (Open Source, syncs across devices).
Google Search: You use Startpage (Dutch), which is great. You can also try SearXNG (a meta-search engine you can self-host or use public European instances) for total independence.
Photos: You mentioned Koofr (Slovenia) for storage, but for a āGoogle Photosā experience (galleries, timeline), look at Ente Photos. It is E2EE (End-to-End Encrypted), Open Source, and has a strong privacy stance.
Social Media: You moved to Bluesky (US-based, decentralized but funded by US tech figures). For true European independence, consider the Fediverse (Mastodon). You can join a specific European instance (like social.network.europa.eu or a local national instance) to ensure your data stays under EU jurisdiction.
Phone: Install Organic Maps and Aegis Authenticator immediately.
PC: Install KDE Connect to replace Phone Link.
OS Check: Go to the /e/OS website and check if your current Android phones are compatible. If they are, this solves your āAndroidā problem entirely.
Linux Test: Download Linux Mint, put it on a USB stick, and āLive Bootā it on your PC. This lets you test your hardware (WiFi, Screen, Sound) without installing it or deleting Windows.
When somebody starts a statement like that, itās either for a CEO of a big company, the president of a powerful nation, or somebody wants to sell something
But, @sshoihet, this is a fantastic idea
So, I did the same with Perplexity Pro. It includes Grok now, so please ignore any Nazi slang and disgusting nude pictures
Great progress on your de-Googling projectāswitching to Signal, Bluesky, Brave, FairEmail/Thunderbird, LibreOffice, Koofr, and Startpage aligns well with open-source, GDPR/DSA priorities and your audio production needs. Here are targeted next steps prioritizing privacy, security, compatibility (e.g., Wine/Proton for DAWs), stability, and performance on your ASUS ROG setup.
Consider Mullvad Browser or LibreWolf over Brave for stricter privacy without Chromium ties or crypto features; both are Firefox-based, open-source, and block trackers aggressively while maintaining speed. Mullvad Browser adds VPN-friendly anonymity and is GDPR-compliant via no-log policies. LibreWolf auto-clears data on close, suiting your technical workflow.dev+1
Replace YouTube with NewPipe (Android) or FreeTube (desktop) for ad-free, tracker-free access; they support downloads and subscriptions without Google APIs. Self-host an Invidious instance on Koofr-synced storage for family use, ensuring EU data control and low latency.reddit+1
Switch to OsmAnd or Organic Maps using OpenStreetMap dataāthese are offline-capable, open-source apps with no tracking, ideal for Berlin travel and bass gig routing. OsmAnd offers hiking/biking layers and GDPR compliance via non-personalized data.surfshark+1
Adopt Bitwarden: fully open-source, self-hostable on Koofr, with GDPR/SOC2 compliance and AES-256 encryption. It syncs across devices securely and imports from browsers seamlessly, outperforming built-in options in audits and compatibility.[imagogg]ā
Add Mullvad VPNāSwedish-based (EU jurisdiction), no-logs audited policy, GDPR-compliant, and WireGuard for low-latency audio streaming/gigs. Accepts anonymous payments, perfect for your Proton/Wine testing without foreign influence.mullvad+1
Test Zorin OS or AV Linux live USBs for Windows 11-like UI and pro audio (low-latency kernel, Yabridge for VST3s in Studio One/Ableton). Bottles simplifies Wine/Proton for stubborn Windows apps with sandboxing; expect 90%+ compatibility and native performance.History+2
GrapheneOS on a Pixel (via resale of your Galaxy A55) is the gold standard: AOSP-based, de-Googled, with verified boot and per-app controls for max security. /e/OS offers broader device support if Pixel swap isnāt viable yet.github+1
| Category | Current/Planned | Suggested | Key Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browser | Brave | Mullvad/LibreWolf | Zero telemetry, no Chromium[dev]ā |
| Video | (YouTube?) | NewPipe/FreeTube | No Google contact[reddit]ā |
| Maps | (Google?) | OsmAnd | Offline, open-source[surfshark]ā |
| Passwords | (Browser?) | Bitwarden | Self-host GDPR[imagogg]ā |
| Linux | Proton/Wine testing | AV Linux + Bottles | Audio-optimized, Windows-likeHistory+1 |
These maintain your DAW stability (e.g., LDAC/ASIO via PipeWire) while advancing sovereigntyāstart with VPN and passwords for quick wins.[perplexity]ā
Me again: itās quite similar! But itās not perfect yet.
By the way, I using Ecosia as a Browser as well as a search engine now, and after some configuration I have the 100% Chrome/Google experience I had before ā¦ while planting trees
I looked into AV Linux, but that seems outdated.
I think the best route is to go Ubuntu. Itās widely supported, and I can ask a large community, when I run into issuesā¦
Itās safer as itās transparent: code can be audited and modified to your own needs. Which is not true for propriety solutions.
So, obviously Iām not checking all OpenSource code, but again we see migrations to OpenSource on corporate, regional and national level now. I just follow that trail, and this gives me a safe feelingā¦
And safe for me is also about: being able to use software or a digital service tomorrow too, independent of somebody deciding to switch it off, cause [insert nutty reason here].
The problem became very real to us Europeans, unfortunately!
You are American, so everything is great.
But again: we (= Europe) had several cases of people being cut off from the use of digital and even banking services by an unfriendly state, for reasons that are illegal according to EU law.
What will keep an unfriendly or even roque state from cutting off all digital services for whole nations or the whole EU?
Nothing!
This project has everything to do with claiming digital stability in an unstable world. To withstand blackmail, as we expect this any day now.
By the way: if somebody had said the very same thing Iām saying now a few years ago, I would think that guy is nuts. Like one of those dreaded digital prepper dudes.
Itās sad, really. The good old days are overā¦
And: I hate LibreOffice & LINUX, so there you go
How often do you do this? I am a professional software developer and I literally never personally audit FOSS code used to build the operating systems I use for safety or trust issues.
Essentially what you are really doing is shifting your trust from Microsoft to Canonical.
And then thereās thisā¦
Never, well, almost never: I checked Open Source Code for professional projects.
But Iām not going to look into LibreOfficeās code
A friend of mine does though - sheās quite a famous hacker hereā¦
This is why I said that I will follow whatever companies I know do, or whatās happening on community or state level. They have the manpower, knowhow ā¦ and attitude!
For example, there is a major shift to LINUX, LibreOffice and NextCloud currently, so I follow that. I know that that EU companies and offices have the same challenges that I do, so thatās an easy one.
Yeah! Somehow I never liked Firefox, so I did not want to go for that anyway.
Iām really happy with my current choice: Ecosia!
Tested it, and I agree!
I prefer the Ecosia Browser, cause of their green philosophy, BUT Ecosia does not support synching over all my devices, which is a must have for me.
So I switched to Vivaldi now, but I use the Ecosia search engineā¦
Curious if youāve tried Opera?
I only want to use Chromium-based browser for the time being.
It has no rational reason ā¦ itās just that I have developed many TV and Signage applications for that platform, and it feels like āhomeā.
Of course I have Opera, Firefox and a whole range of other browsers on all my devices. But thatās just to test web sites or some kind of technologiesā¦
