It’s no secret that these days we need certain hooks to help us remember everyday things or groups — just look at World Backup Day or System Administrator Appreciation Day. Digital Independence Day is another example, though with a powerful (and necessary) message behind it.
The motivations behind the German-based Digital Independence Day are likely nothing that new but with the current political situation in the U.S. and Silicon Valley CEOs’ continued kowtowing to Donald Trump, the trend toward Free Software and decoupling from Big Tech has recently gained tremendous momentum. Since January 2026, the Digital Independence Day has therefore been celebrated on the first Sunday of every month. The goal: Reclaim a free digital life, individually halt the digital exploitation of democracy and switch to democracy-friendly alternatives. The message behind this: Users are gradually securing their digital independence and even though the path out of the “Big Tech” bubble is certainly harder than the path in, there are definitely alternatives!
If we take a good, hard look at ourselves, there’s already plenty of potential beyond the current “Go European” initiatives. I’ve been using Linux on servers since I started my training in 1999 and on the desktop, I’ve been firmly “married” to Apple hardware - and the ecosystem behind it - for 25 years now. But here, too, the trend over the years has shifted away from (primarily) macOS-specific tools toward applications that are ideally (and increasingly) also available for Linux. That’s how my switch from Windows to macOS in my personal life worked “back then.” Right now, it’s still the hardware and its combination with the software that represents a unique selling point: Apple devices running Linux (hello, Asahi!) would be the absolute dream - and a possibility that might eventually make me switch over here as well while my desktop-PC is already running Linux on a Lenovo ThinkCentre.
Anyway, if you look at how Linux and ARM are (not) harmonizing right now or read about how clumsy Qualcomm is currently being when it comes to driver support, it’s definitely going to be a long journey. But be that as it may: Aside from desktops and smartphones I’m already well on my way, with the potential end of that path (still) lined with one or two “boss battles”!
My current check list:
| ✅ Mastodon (instead of Bluesky or X) |
|---|
| ✅ Signal, Matrix and Threema (instead of WhatsApp) |
| ✅ Nextcloud (instead of OneDrive)s |
| ✅ Vivaldi (instead of native Chrome/Edge) |
| ✅ Qwant (instead of Google) |
| ✅ Ente (instead of Apple Photos) |
| ✅ Vaultwarden (instead of 1Password) |
| ✅ Linux (Desktop-PC) |
| ✅ E-Mail (Proton) |
| ⭕️ AppleTV |
| ⭕️ Apple Music (would be Deezer is the family wouldn’t be that difficult to persuade) |
| ⭕️ HomePods |
| ⭕️ Payment (VISA and ApplePay) |
| ⭕️ macOS (Boss Level, Desktop-PC already runs Linux for testing purposes) |
| ⭕️ iPhone (Boss Level) |
Part of our future Internet culture will depend on how we break away from Big Tech - and, above all, by what means. We must move away from the digital, centralized “fly-catcher” platforms of our time which have permanently damaged - and arguably nearly destroyed - the Internet as we once knew it. The web must reinvent itself and so must the users behind it - decentralization will be one path, as will the trend toward Open Source and alternative software, alternative operating systems and especially self-governance of data. The Digital Independence Day is not a panacea but it is a damn good indicator of a turning point and a guide to a first “how” with the help of individual switch guides.
Today marks the third Digital Independence Day in 2026 and another opportunity to reflect on our own use of devices and services that undermine digital independence (whether knowingly or not!). Rome wasn’t built in a day and the path may be (and definitely is!) rocky: But as users, we have the opportunity to master this challenge - and must not fail because of our own convenience or “it’s always been this way” excuses (or other reluctant users). We have the opportunity to restore the Internet, at least in part, to how it should be - without centralization and digital dependencies that lead us to the current boiling point.
Finally, this opportunity - this very journey - begins with each and every one of us which is why the third Digital Independence Day is a great starting point for the journey toward digital independence from Big Tech!
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