There’s a saying that goes “If the service is free, then you are the product”, implying that if you’re not paying the bill someone else is and the bill is for access to you and the digital trail you leave. Advertisers, marketers, data brokers and opinion manipulators alike, both private and state owned, both benevolent or with malice aforethought, will happily pay to intrude upon you thoughts and interests and, you may ask, where’s the harm? Well, that’s a matter of choice. You may be happy with private companies handling and processing your day to day thoughts, interests and may welcome non stop suggestions and offers, pop up adverts etc., and that’s fine, but for those who aren’t thrilled by the idea, it shouldn’t be the default option and they’re the people this site is aimed at.
Whether you’re interested in email, social media, messaging, hosting your own media collection on your own server or running your own cloud office apps, there’s usually a pathway away from big tech for you. In fact many of the services run by big tech are based on or include software that can be freely downloaded, installed and run on bog standard PC hardware.
In the phone and mobile device sphere there’s and increasing number of non iOS and android, or at least de-googled android devices, designed to remove you from the clutches of big business. Unlike desktop computers however, some of these these can be less mature and may be best left to the more digitally adventurous.