The Privacy-Friendly Tech to Replace Your US-Based Email, Browser, and Search

From your email to your web browsing, it’s highly apt that your regular online life is dominated by a mini number of tech giants—namely Google, Microsoft, and Apple. But since Big Tech has been cozying up to nan 2nd Trump administration, which has taken an fierce stance connected overseas policy, and Elon Musk’s alleged Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has ravaged done nan government, immoderate attitudes towards utilizing US-based integer services person been changing.

While movements to displacement from US integer services aren’t new, they’ve intensified successful caller months. Companies successful Europe person started moving distant from immoderate US unreality giants successful favour of services that grip information locally, and location person been efforts from officials successful Europe to displacement to homegrown tech that has less perceived risks. For example, nan French and German governments person created their ain Docs connection processor to rival Google Docs.

Meanwhile, 1 user canvass released successful March had 62 percent of group from 9 European countries saying that ample US tech companies were a threat to nan continent’s sovereignty. At nan aforesaid time, lists of non-US tech alternatives and European-based tech options person seen a surge successful visitors successful caller months.

For 3 of nan astir wide utilized tech services—email, web browsers, and hunt engines—we’ve been done immoderate of nan alternatives that are privacy-focused and picked immoderate options you whitethorn want to consider. Other options are available, but these organizations and companies purpose to minimize information they cod and often put privateness first.

There are caveats, though. While galore of nan services connected this database are based extracurricular of nan US, there’s still nan imaginable that immoderate of them trust upon Big Tech services themselves—for instance, immoderate hunt engines tin usage results aliases indexes provided by Big Tech, while companies whitethorn usage package aliases services, specified arsenic unreality hosting, that are created by US tech firms. So trying to region yourself wholly whitethorn not beryllium arsenic straightforward arsenic it first looks.

Web Browsers

Mullvad

Based successful Sweden, Mullvad is possibly champion known for its VPN, but successful 2023 nan statement teamed up pinch integer anonymity work Tor to create nan Mullvad Browser. The unfastened root browser, which is disposable only connected desktop, says it collects no personification data and is focused connected privacy. The browser has been designed to extremity group from search you via browser fingerprinting arsenic you move astir nan web, positive it has a “private mode” that isolates search cookies enabled by default. “The underlying argumentation of Mullvad is that we ne'er shop immoderate activity logs of immoderate kind,” its privateness argumentation says. The browser is designed to activity pinch Mullvad’s VPN but is besides compatible pinch immoderate VPN that you mightiness use.

Vivaldi

WIRED’s Scott Gilbertson swears by Vivaldi and has called it nan web’s champion browser. Available connected desktop and mobile, nan Norwegian-headquartered browser says it doesn’t floor plan your behavior. “The sites you visit, what you type successful nan browser, your downloads, we person nary entree to that data,” nan institution says. “It either stays connected your section instrumentality aliases gets encrypted.” It besides blocks trackers and hosts information successful Iceland, which has strong information protection laws. Its privateness argumentation says it anonymizes IP addresses and doesn’t stock browsing data.

Search Engines

Qwant French hunt motor Qwant has built its ain hunt index, crawling much than 20 cardinal pages to create its ain records of nan web. Creating a hunt scale is simply a hugely costly, laborious process, and arsenic a result, galore replacement hunt engines will not create an extended scale and alternatively usage hunt results from Google aliases Microsoft’s Bing—enhancing them pinch their ain information and algorithms. Qwant says it uses Bing to “supplement” hunt results that it hasn’t indexed. Beyond this, Qwant says it does not usage targeted advertising, aliases shop people’s hunt history. “Your information remains confidential, and nan processing of your information remains nan same,” nan institution says successful its privacy policy.

Mojeek

Mojeek, based retired of nan United Kingdom, has built its ain web crawler and index, saying that its hunt results are “100% independent.” The hunt motor does not way you, it says successful its privacy policy, and only keeps immoderate circumstantial logs of information. “Mojeek removes immoderate anticipation of search aliases identifying immoderate peculiar user,” its privateness argumentation says. It uses its ain algorithms to rank hunt results, not utilizing click aliases personalization information to create ranks, and says that this tin mean 2 group searching for nan aforesaid point while successful different countries tin person nan aforesaid hunt results.

Startpage

Based successful nan Netherlands, Startpage says that erstwhile you make a hunt request, nan first point that happens is it removes your IP reside and individual data—it doesn’t usage immoderate search cookies, it says. The institution uses Google and Bing to supply its hunt results but says it acts arsenic an “intermediary” betwixt you and nan providers. “Startpage submits your query to Google and Bing anonymously connected your behalf, past returns nan results to you, privately,” it says connected its website. “Google and Microsoft do not cognize who made nan hunt request—instead, they only spot Startpage.”

Ecosia

Nonprofit hunt motor Ecosia uses nan money it makes to thief works trees. The institution besides offers various privateness promises erstwhile you hunt pinch it, too. Based successful Germany, nan institution says it doesn’t cod excessive information and doesn’t usage hunt information to personalize ads. Like different hunt alternatives, Ecosia uses Google’s and Bing’s search results (you tin prime which 1 successful nan settings). “We only cod and process information that is basal to supply you pinch nan champion hunt results (which includes your IP address, hunt position and convention behavioral data),” nan institution says connected its website. The accusation it collects is gathered to supply hunt results from its Big Tech partners and observe fraud, it says. (At nan extremity of 2024, Ecosia collaborated pinch Qwant to build more hunt motor infrastructure successful Europe).

Email Providers

ProtonMail

Based successful Switzerland, Proton started pinch a privacy-focused email work and has built retired a bid of apps, including unreality storage, docs, and a VPN to rival Google. The institution says it cannot publication immoderate messages successful people’s inboxes, and it offers end-to-end encryption for emails sent to different Proton Mail addresses, arsenic good arsenic a measurement to send password protected emails to non Proton accounts. It blocks trackers successful emails and has aggregate relationship options, including some free and paid choices. Its privacy policy describes what accusation nan institution has entree to, which includes sender and recipient email addresses, positive IP addresses wherever messages get from, connection taxable lines, and erstwhile emails are sent. (Despite Switzerland’s beardown privateness laws, nan authorities has precocious announced it whitethorn require encrypted services to support user’s data, thing that Proton has pushed backmost on).

Tuta

Tuta, which utilized to beryllium called Tutanota and is based successful Germany, says it encrypts email content, taxable lines, calendars, reside books, and different information successful your inbox. “The only unencrypted information are message addresses of users arsenic good arsenic senders and recipients of emails,” it says connected its website, adding that users' encryption keys cannot beryllium accessed by developers. Like Proton, emails sent betwixt Tuta accounts are end-to-end encrypted, and you tin nonstop password protected emails erstwhile messaging an relationship from different email provider. The institution besides has an end-to-end encrypted almanac and offers some free and paid plans.