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- cross-posted to:
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In order to protect their sovereignty, the continent’s leaders must invest in a digital ecosystem independent of America
In order to protect their sovereignty, the continent’s leaders must invest in a digital ecosystem independent of America
[citation needed]
At least on end user devices, It’s not easy at all to move completely to non-US operating systems. Quite a few places tried and failed to move to Linux.
The critical parts of Android are open source. Many Chinese vendors have versions for the Chinese market that do not depend on any US non-foss software components and the EU could easily do the same. Development would probably slow down, but a smartphone from 5 years ago (with security patches) is not really worse than a brand new one.
The failure of bureocracies to move to Linux is and was organisational and political, not technical.
I am not saying that US software and services are not the most convenient. That is why they dominate the EU market of course, but they are not essential and there is no technical or legal (patents) reason why they they couldn’t be substituted quite easily.
Anyways, it is largely a political choice of the EU to import these services, as the US has little else to offer and as good allies (in the past) we found ways to make it work despite the glaring economic imbalance of the US economy.
True, but that doesn’t make it any easier. People are very, very stubborn and dumb about this and at least here in Germany most people (including politicians) don’t even see the issue with being entirely dependent on US tech corporations. And that’s despite the huge scandal about the US secret service literally spying on the German chancellor’s phone.
Do. Or do not. There is no try.
… by which I mean that the attempts that failed were not real attempts. It’s like giving up fossil fuels. You know the right thing to do. The benefits are long-term. Immense as they seem, the transition costs are temporary. That it’s difficult is not a good reason not to do it.