• The Real Issue: Dependency Is Still Dependency
• Why Open Source Is the Better Metric
  • 1. Security Through Transparency
  • 2. Cost and Vendor Lock-in
  • 3. Adaptability and Control
• Naming the Trade-offs Honestly
• Transition in Stages
• Practical Recommendations
• The Next Step: Self-Hosting

Things are shifting. U.S. politics has made more and more people aware of how deeply dependent they are on software from the United States. Microsoft, Google, and who knows what else. Laws like the Cloud Act or the Patriot Act make it very clear who ultimately holds the leverage.

And yes, of course it comes from the U.S. There simply aren’t many serious, competitive alternatives from the EU. Wonder why.

§The Real Issue: Dependency Is Still Dependency

Many people make a mistake at this point. The narrative goes: cut dependence on U.S. services and switch to EU providers instead.

That is often nothing more than swapping one Big Brother for another. The smaller Big Brother can easily outgrow the bigger one sooner or later.

People have understood that being dependent on X is bad. But why being dependent on Y should suddenly be good? That part rarely gets examined. “Understood” might even be too generous. It was simply suggested to them.

§Why Open Source Is the Better Metric

So what would be the right approach? Instead of judging software by its country of origin, we should ask a more fundamental question: is it free or not?

By free, I mean Open Source.

Yes, Open Source software has a reputation problem. Usually courtesy of people who do not use it or have never seriously tried it. Yes, it often looks a bit less polished than corporate products. Yes, sometimes it lags behind in certain features.

And still, there are very solid reasons to switch.

§1. Security Through Transparency

In many cases, Open Source software is more secure because the source code is publicly accessible. Many developers can inspect it. That significantly reduces the probability of hidden malware or manipulative functionality.

Numerous projects undergo regular independent security audits. A prime example is Bitcoin. Fully Open Source. Publicly auditable. Under constant scrutiny and attack for years.

With proprietary software, vulnerabilities are often discovered only after the damage is done. The recurring data breaches of major corporations are a reminder of that reality.

§2. Cost and Vendor Lock-in

Most Open Source software is free of charge. Add up what you pay every month for software and apps: streaming services, cloud storage, office suites, photo and video editing tools.

Many of these offerings are designed to create dependency. Proprietary file formats. Difficult export processes. Closed ecosystems. Vendor lock-in is not an accident. It is a business model.

Once you are inside, leaving often means losing data, breaking workflows, or starting from scratch.

If your entire digital life runs on such services and prices or requirements increase year after year, you are not a customer anymore. You are captive.

§3. Adaptability and Control

With free software, you can change what does not fit. Missing a feature? Something annoys you? You are not dependent on a company’s roadmap. You can fork the project and build your own version.

For most users, this is not a daily use case. But the possibility matters. Freedom becomes real when the option exists.

§Naming the Trade-offs Honestly

There are trade-offs. Many Open Source projects are not primarily commercial and are often maintained by small teams. Design and usability can be rougher. You may need to adjust your habits.

Some projects eventually stop being actively maintained. The difference compared to corporate software: you can continue developing it yourself, or move to a community-driven fork, instead of waking up to shut-down servers and discontinued products.

§Transition in Stages

Do not switch everything overnight. Start by testing individual programs alongside your current tools. Get used to them. Then migrate step by step.

One major advantage of Open Source is the community. In forums and on platforms like GitHub or Reddit, you will almost always find help when you get stuck.

§Practical Recommendations

Audit your digital setup. What software are you using? Check whether it is Open Source. If not, look for alternatives.

Paid proprietary software should be questioned because of both cost and lock-in. Free proprietary software often comes with a different price tag: your data.

A few starting points:

• Operating system: Linux, perhaps as a dual boot alongside Windows at first

• Email: Thunderbird

• Browser: Firefox

• Notes: Joplin or Logseq

• Office suite: LibreOffice or OpenOffice

• Password manager: KeePass

• Messenger: Signal

There are many more options. At the beginning, experimentation is unavoidable. But the first strategic step is clear: move away from closed dependencies.

§The Next Step: Self-Hosting

For more advanced users, the second step is self-hosting. That is where digital sovereignty becomes tangible. More on that in a follow-up article.