We talk about digital sovereignty, but we use foreign tools to do so

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We talk about digital sovereignty, but we use foreign tools to do so. The proof: this post is published on LinkedIn.

How can we not be concerned about this dependence when we risk paying for it through customs duties, when we know that information is a strategic asset in today's world, and that we blindly give our consent just to "stay connected"?

Everyone is aware of this, but I think we underestimate the strength of open-source or French alternatives, whether we are individuals or businesses.

A personal approach

Personally, I have my own domain name and my own server on which I host my emails and my own cloud. This means that:

• I have my own webmail, I no longer use Gmail or Outlook. I can of course receive my emails on my phone or PC (Thunderbird is a very good email client).
• I have my own document server, I no longer use Google Drive or OneDrive.
• I use powerful collaborative tools such as:
  • Nextcloud for document sharing, calendars, polls... Nextcloud is an open-source cloud that offers paid online solutions, or you can download their software and install it on your own server.
  • Framasoft tools (mainly for non-profit use).

Initiatives to protect our data

• MURENA: Android phones without Google, developed by Frenchman Gaël Duval.
• Olvid: the end-to-end encrypted instant messenger, used up to the government level.
• Lockystar: the encryption solution for your personal files, guaranteeing their confidentiality on all platforms. Also a French end-to-end encryption solution.

The messaging dilemma

I admit I struggle a bit with messaging, which is a collectively chosen tool: you don't necessarily choose such a tool because it's nice, but generally because your friends and family are already on it. I recently had to reinstall WhatsApp to chat with friends who only used that application. I tried to console myself by thinking that it is also an end-to-end encrypted solution...