I recommend not only disentangling yourself from Google products (see my De-Google Your Life series that recommends products outside Big Tech), but also think about leaving Meta, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft.
This is a gradual process that takes time. I know people that have been doing it over years, and some that managed to detach within weeks. For most, it will be a mindful practice of eliminating partial elements over months. Perhaps you start with your browser, then email, then file storage, then phone. One by one. It is all possible.
There are a variety of factors of entanglement that will factor into your disentanglement including finances, logistics, time, connections, and more. And also, Big Tech holds monopolies and has entrenched us to become as dependent as possible on their products. They have intentionally made it difficult and seemingly impossible to remove them from our lives. The years that Big Tech took to get the public dependent on them means that we are that deeply embedded.
But it is absolutely possible to break up with Big Tech.
Where you have a choice (e.g. not if your workplace mandates use of these products), begin identifying where you use Big Tech products. Make a list of your devices, smart home products, wearables, apps, programs, productivity/office platforms, shopping, file storage methods, cloud, etc.
For most, apps and software platforms are an easier point of entry to begin the process. For every product, there is an existing alternative. None of the alternatives are identical, but that is the point. We do not want the same. We do not want a single solution. We want many.
Some preparation and research will be required. Although I have started the series on extracting yourself from Big Tech one by one, these are ever evolving and developing recommendations. Always do your research because new products always emerge, and sometimes good products do bad things to give people pause in using them. Be okay with packing light in case you want to move again.
The more we support other platforms, the better and more varied they become. By peeling away from Big Tech, we are also building a better environment for others to create and build stronger.
I will be continuing my series on de-Googling, which is essentially removing Big Tech from our lives. Stay tuned for coverage on disentangling from everything including smart devices, shopping, cloud storage, productivity/office platforms, our very phones, connectivity, and more.
Let’s break up with Big Tech by breaking them up.
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