ibuyfrom.eu - Using individual choices to answer american blackmail


2026-01-19 - 🕐 5mn

Introduction

I’m writing these lines at a time of yet another diplomatic crisis (how many now?) between the European Union and the USA, but the ideas I gathered in this article were already in my notes for some time. The crystallisation of the ideological confrontation between the two political blocs (especially over Greenland) has brought this issue back to the forefront of media attention, and happens as I have finished just last week this side project (ibuyfrom.eu), so I thought I’d take the opportunity to share my thoughts.

We are a digital colony

American tech companies have benefited from a number of favorable factors (financial power, the immediate size of their markets, and an 80-year-old consensus on how to live together) that have allowed them to develop and embed themselves deeply and strongly in our daily lives. The GAFAM (and other companies that did not get the honour to star in the acronym) are omnipresent in the personal and professional lives of the vast majority of European citizens. To grasp the full extent of this, I won’t repeat myself and instead refer you to my previous article: US’exit – Quitting GAFAM and Other American Digital Services.

The result is an extreme dependence on American services in our lives and economy, which are now completely vulnerable to service interruptions. We have partly lost our diplomatic freedom of speech and our political freedom of action, because we are at the mercy of our unreliable ally. We are a colony.

What is your risk assessment?

Any business somewhat serious conducts its own risk analysis. Of course, the scenario of a service shutdown (I’ll skip over the issues of confidentiality, intellectual property, or privacy protection) still seems highly unlikely and is certainly not in the interest of the companies involved nor the United States. But what was absurd yesterday is only improbable today, or, to put it another way: “So far, everything is fine was a little better than today.” What about tomorrow?

To add to the risk analysis, other powers have been interested in the network of undersea communication cables for years. A number of these cables have already been “accidentally” damaged (or perhaps to test their strength?). In short, they are known, mapped, vulnerable, and it must be relatively simple to cut them all within minutes with sufficient coordination.

Considering the consequences of catastrophic scenarios and estimating the likelihood of these risks occurring, I ask you, the reader: do you think the risk is worth the cost of the effort of emancipating ourselves from American technologies for our personal and professional tools? I certainly think so.

The volume of our digital imports is both a problem and a trump card (ironically)

Beyond geopolitical thriller scenarios, the current diplomatic spat alone is worth examining. Faced with the very literal threats and blackmail from the U.S. administration, several responses are possible. Political institutions have some cards to play, but they will always be perceived as requiring a new response from the other party. Hence the escalation. On the other hand, even American hypocrisy will struggle to politically exploit the choices of European consumers.

A study commissioned by the Cigref was published in April 2025: Technological Dependence on American Software & Cloud Services: An Estimate of the Economic Consequences in Europe. It estimates that the value added to the United States from our import of cloud services alone amounts to €264 billion. The study is inevitably imperfect and incomplete due to difficulties in measuring actual flows, but the total volume estimate must be close to reality.

We therefore have coercive power over the American companies concerned, and they in turn have some influence over the U.S. administration, as they and their investors contribute to election funds and the institutional corruption in place. Each of us has a vote in U.S. elections by voting with our wallets and our data.

To be clear: yes, this is also a call for a boycott. After all, it is a very powerful political tool that lies primarily in the hands of citizens (as well as public and private economic decision-makers).

The “Buy European” movement is already strong

Many have already begun, or even made significant progress (though rarely completed), in migrating from American products and services to European, open-source, or at least non-American alternatives. A lot of resources exist online and are widely used: for example, the subreddit /r/BuyFromEU currently has around 491,000 weekly users (update: that number has risen to 548,000 in just one day; Trump at least deserves the title of the world’s most influential person). Moreover, many people apply this principle where they can without consciously participating in the movement. The trend is likely much broader than just those who are vocal about it.

Furthermore, this transition is almost one-way, as those who make the effort are unlikely to go back for multiple reasons. For my part, I have cancelled over €450 worth of annual subscriptions to various American services (MS Office, streaming, SaaS, etc.), not to mention the purchases I’ve avoided or redirected, or the data that no longer goes to the United States or to servers of American companies, wherever they may be (it is legally the same thing under U.S. law).

In Germany, the movement gains momentum under the name "Digital Independence Day".

My little project: ibuyfrom.eu

In this context, I’ve completed this rather insignificant but relevant mini-project: ibuyfrom.eu.

It’s a simple tool that allows you to add circular text to an image (typically a profile picture or avatar). It is pre-set with a pro-European message, as its purpose is to promote the “Buy European” movement.

Use it freely and as you see fit.

P.S. Reminder: resources for finding alternatives to American products and services

If you’re looking for alternatives to a specific service or software, a search on your usual search engine will yield many results. But here are a few sources that compile alternatives by theme:

P.P.S. Related topic: energy dependence

The same goes for our energy dependence (we import American liquefied gas to replace Russian gas). The same observations and analysis should push us to speed up our energy transition for the sake of independence. That’s just one more good reason to get on with it.

Fin