Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my current status quo of gradually moving away from US-based services and products and replacing them with European alternatives where possible.

This is not about perfection or ideological purity — more about direction, values, and supporting EU-based ecosystems when reasonable alternatives exist.

Below is what I’ve already switched, what I’m keeping (for now), and where I’m still undecided / looking for advice.

What I’ve already switched

Email / Cloud / VPN

I’m fully aware that Proton is a European company based in Switzerland.
My decision to move away from Proton was not about trust or geography, but about risk concentration.

I was using Proton Mail, Proton Drive, and Proton VPN at the same time and decided to follow the principle of
“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

So I deliberately split these services across different providers:

• Proton Mail → TutaMail (Germany)
• Proton Drive → Filen (Germany)
• Proton VPN → Mullvad VPN (Sweden) (when I actually need a VPN)

This is more about resilience and diversification than distrust.

Music Streaming

• Deezer → Qobuz (France)

While Deezer is often seen as European, I decided to move away from it after learning more about its ownership and investor structure — to my understanding, a significant share is held by non-EU stakeholders partly linked to the US.
That didn’t fully align with what I personally want to support long-term.

Qobuz feels more in line with my values, and the switch ended up being a nice improvement in sound quality too.

Messaging

• WhatsApp → Threema + Signal WhatsApp completely gone. Signal is still US-based, but currently required for activism / political work.

Language Models

• ChatGPT → Le Chat

Charging Devices

• Anker → recable (Germany)

Voice Chat

• Discord → TeamSpeak

OS

• Windows → Linux Mint (Oh boy, do I love Linux Mint <3 Fck Windows)

Office / Creative Software

• Microsoft Office → LibreOffice (rarely needed anyway)
• For most creative work I use Affinity Publisher, Designer & Photo

Entertainment

• Cancelled several US streaming services (e.g. Disney+)

Navigation

• Apple Maps → TomTom

Payments

• PayPal → Wero

Clothing

While Adidas is a German brand, a lot of their production happens outside the EU, which I want to move away from over time.

Ideally I support European production under reasonable conditions.

• Shoes: switching from Adidas → TREAZY (EU production, plant-based materials)
• Socks: planning to switch to TREAZY socks (made in Portugal)

Underwear — Open Question

One thing I’m curious about is high-quality men’s underwear (trunks) that:

• is genuinely produced in Europe, and
• feels really comfortable, and
• actually lasts a long time (doesn’t stretch out or fall apart after a few months)

Do you have any brands or personal experiences with European underwear that fits this bill?
Something you’ve had for years and still feel comfortable in, made in Europe?

Would love to hear what people here have actually tested and can recommend based on real long-term use.

Audio / Hardware

• Initially planned: Shure SM7B
• Decided on: Sennheiser MD 421 Mark II Supporting a European audio manufacturer felt like the better fit for me.

What I still use (reluctantly / pragmatically)

Netflix

• No real EU alternative with a comparable catalog — I only subscribe occasionally (1 month every few months).

Gaming

• Steam – ecosystem reasons

Password Manager

• 1Password (Canada) — not EU but best fit for my needs so far

Big open topic: Smartphone

• Currently using an iPhone 15 Pro
• Considering a Fairphone with LineageOS
• Waiting to see developments around Fairphone 6

Would love to see some experiences here.

Where I’d really love community input

Messaging

• Thoughts on Element / Matrix / XMPP?

Streaming

• Any serious European Netflix alternatives you like?

Underwear

• European underwear brands / experiences that are truly high-quality & long-lasting?

General

• EU services/products you’d strongly recommend or avoid?

This is very much a work in progress, not a finished state.
Happy to learn, adjust, and iterate — feedback welcome 🙂

Thanks!