How Are Europeans Trying to Get Rid of Google and Microsoft?

Written by Maria Heloisa Barbosa Borges

Published on 17/07/2025 at 15:40

Europa investe em soberania digital e adota alternativas a Google e Microsoft com foco em privacidade

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From An Operating System Of Its Own To An Open Source Search Engine, Discover The Movement For Digital Sovereignty Gaining Ground In Europe And The Alternatives Emerging To Reduce Dependence On Big Techs.

In a technological landscape dominated by American and Chinese giants, a quiet yet powerful movement is taking shape in the old continent. The question of how Europeans are trying to break free from Google and Microsoft has shifted from a theoretical discussion to a practical objective, driven by a desire for digital sovereignty, privacy, and appreciation for local production. It is a kind of “continental patriotism” that is unveiling high-quality projects and tools.

This quest for independence is not just a political reaction, but also a source of innovation. For us Brazilians, it is a unique opportunity to discover excellent software and services, many of them open-source and with a strong focus on privacy, which rarely reach our knowledge.

The Search For Digital Sovereignty

How Europeans Are Trying To Break Free From Google And Microsoft?

The European ambition extends far beyond simply replacing one application with another. There are large-scale projects aimed at creating a fundamentally European digital infrastructure.

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Two examples stand out:

EUOS (European Union Operating System): one of the boldest projects is the creation of a Linux-based operating system intended for the continent’s public sector. The goal is clear: to ensure technological independence, greater security, and complete control over data, reducing reliance on systems like Windows and macOS in government agencies.

Open Web Search: on another front, the Open Web Search project seeks to create a search engine for the internet that is a completely open-source and private alternative to Google and Bing. The idea is to build an index of the European web, ensuring that search results are not manipulated by foreign corporate interests.

Finding Alternatives For Everyday Life

As the major projects progress, there are already platforms dedicated to mapping and promoting existing alternatives. Websites like Go European and European Alternatives serve as a guide for those who want to understand how Europeans are trying to break free from Google and Microsoft in practice.

The Go European website, for example, lists alternatives in various categories, from clothing and furniture to software and electronics. Exploring the technology section, we find interesting options:

Nextcloud (Germany): a powerful open-source alternative to Google Drive and OneDrive, allowing you to create your own private cloud.

Organic Maps (Estonia): a privacy-focused, offline-capable mapping app that serves as an excellent substitute for Google Maps.

Proton (Switzerland): renowned for its encrypted email and VPN services, Proton is an example of how Switzerland’s strict privacy laws foster the creation of secure tools.

“European” Means Better? The Importance Of Analysis

It is crucial to understand that the “European” label is not, by itself, a guarantee of superior quality. Many products from Big Techs are market leaders because they are indeed excellent. However, the European movement often brings with it a strong commitment to privacy, open-source, and sustainability.

Many of the listed services, for example, indicate whether they are hosted in the European Union (under GDPR protection) or if they use renewable energy in their data centers. Browsers like Vivaldi (Norway/Iceland) and Mullvad Browser (Sweden) are examples of tools that were born with privacy as a central pillar.

The big lesson from this movement is the importance of having options. Knowing how Europeans are trying to break free from Google and Microsoft shows us that innovation is not limited to Silicon Valley and that there are vibrant ecosystems creating solutions with different values and priorities.

What do you think of this quest for technological independence? Do you believe Brazil should have a similar initiative to catalog and value national technology? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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How Are Europeans Trying to Get Rid of Google and Microsoft?

From An Operating System Of Its Own To An Open Source Search Engine, Discover The Movement For Digital Sovereignty Gaining Ground In Europe And The Alternatives Emerging To Reduce Dependence On Big Techs.

The Search For Digital Sovereignty

Major Oil, Gas, and Energy Event Will Take Place in Brazil: Macaé Energy Will Gather Petrobras, Equinor, Prio, Among Other Suppliers and Energy Executives for Business, Networking, and Employment Opportunities

Finding Alternatives For Everyday Life

“European” Means Better? The Importance Of Analysis

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How Are Europeans Trying to Get Rid of Google and Microsoft?

From An Operating System Of Its Own To An Open Source Search Engine, Discover The Movement For Digital Sovereignty Gaining Ground In Europe And The Alternatives Emerging To Reduce Dependence On Big Techs.

The Search For Digital Sovereignty

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China has been trying for 13 years to build a railway in the Gobi Desert to reach Mongolia, and there are still 20 kilometers left that no one can finish due to a problem that seems impossible to solve.

At just 14 years old, a boy creates a system without energy, using steel pipes buried in the ground, that irrigates seedlings with moisture from the air, to combat the water scarcity threatening reforestation in northern China.

Where there was only sand and wind at 40 degrees, China built a megacity of 500,000 inhabitants with farms, wineries, and universities in the middle of the desert using melted glacier water from hundreds of kilometers away.

For 45 years, Spain and Morocco have been trying to connect Europe to Africa through a project of just 14 kilometers in the Strait of Gibraltar, and an active tectonic fault on the seabed continues to make the project nearly impossible.

Attracting around 250,000 people a year, a lighthouse 200 meters from the sea, on a 60-meter high cliff, on the North Sea coast in Denmark, becomes one of the most impressive examples of how nature can threaten historical buildings.

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