Ethical Technological Alternatives to Common Platforms

 

 

General Criteria

The Fediverse: Beyond Pixelfed for images and PeerTube for video, there is a whole ecosystem of decentralized social networks based on the ActivityPub protocol. Mastodon is the alternative to X (Twitter), Lemmy alternative to Reddit, BookWyrm for book reviews, Funkwhale for music and audio, and Friendica for a Facebook-like experience. All are open source, ad-free, algorithm-free, and without a single corporate owner [52].

Open Source Software: Whenever possible, choose open source software. Examples: LibreOffice instead of Microsoft Office, GIMP instead of Photoshop, VLC instead of proprietary players, Thunderbird for email [53].

Trust Certifications: Exodus Privacy analyzes Android apps to detect trackers. PrivacyTests.org evaluates browsers. Ethical.net maintains directories of ethical alternatives [54].

Digital Sufficiency Principle: Before looking for an alternative, ask yourself whether you really need the tool. Sometimes the most ethical, sustainable, and free option is to not use AI, not use social networks, not use the cloud. Returning to analog methods (writing by hand, meeting in person, using paper maps) is not a regression; it is a deliberate choice to place limits on technology [55]. As the saying goes: “If you’re not going to drink the water, let it flow”, meaning: if you don’t need a tool (or its ethical/environmental costs outweigh its benefit), the best choice is not to use it. Let it flow. Don’t feed what you don’t want to grow.

 

Spotify

Problems: Spotify’s founder, Daniel Ek, is chairman of Helsing, a military artificial intelligence company that manufactures drones and technology used in armed conflicts, with documented ties to companies complicit in the genocide in Gaza [1]. The platform has disseminated ads for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Israeli Prison Service, where systematic torture of Palestinian political prisoners is documented [2]. Spotify has a partnership with Partner Communications, an Israeli company included in the UN database on businesses involved in illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territory [3]. Additionally, it has removed songs such as “Ana Dammi Falastini” by Mohammed Assaf for “inciting against Israel” and exploits artists with poverty wages and algorithms that prioritize major labels [4].

Ethical alternatives: Bandcamp allows artists to set their prices and keep between 80% and 85% of sales, and on Fridays they often donate their share to social causes [5]. Deezer is a European alternative with a free option and no documented ties to the arms industry. SoundCloud is strong in independent and emerging music. Qobuz is a French platform with the highest sound quality standard on the market, offers a hybrid model (monthly subscription + direct purchase of digital albums), and has the highest payout rate per stream to artists [6].

 

WhatsApp

Problems: WhatsApp is owned by Meta (Mark Zuckerberg), a company with a history of profiting from disinformation that has incited violence in Myanmar and Ethiopia, mass data breaches in the Cambridge Analytica case, and an extractivist model of personal data [7]. According to the United Nations, WhatsApp is a mass disinformation channel [8]. Since 2016, it has shared data with Facebook, despite promising otherwise when it was acquired [9].

Ethical alternatives: Signal is the alternative recommended by experts such as Edward Snowden. It is open source, has end-to-end encryption by default, does not track, has no ads, and does not collect personal data [10].

 

Google (Search Engine, Gmail, Drive)

Problems: Google exercises a knowledge monopoly, deciding what information you see, which news appears, and which content disappears [11]. Its model is purely extractivist: everything you search for, write, locate, or store feeds its data profiling. It collaborates with governments in mass surveillance and user data delivery [12]. Its data centers consume enormous amounts of water and energy, leaving a massive environmental footprint [13].

Ethical alternatives: DuckDuckGo is a search engine that does not track, does not profile, and shows results without personal bias [14]. Searx is a decentralized, open-source metasearch engine that allows you to host your own instance. For email, ProtonMail (based in Switzerland, with privacy laws) and Tutanota (German) offer end-to-end encryption, open source, and a free version [15]. For storage, Nextcloud allows self-hosting or using ethical providers like Disroot.org. CryptPad is an encrypted, open-source collaborative office suite [16]. As a browser, Firefox (with privacy settings), Brave, or LibreWolf are recommended as alternatives to Chrome [17].

 

Instagram

Problems: As property of Meta, Instagram shares the same problems as WhatsApp: disinformation, data breaches, censorship of pro-Palestinian content documented during the genocide in Gaza, addictive algorithms designed to maximize screen time (linked to mental health crises in adolescents), and the normalization of consumption and mass “photocall” tourism [18].

Ethical alternatives: Pixelfed is a decentralized image social network from the fediverse (ActivityPub protocol, the same one Mastodon uses). It has no algorithms, no advertising, is open source, and allows you to follow accounts from other federated platforms [19]. The fediverse (Mastodon for text, Pixelfed for images, PeerTube for video) is the most promising free software ecosystem: it has no owner, no advertising, no recommendation algorithms [20].

 

Google Maps and Waze

Problems: Google Maps massively collects user location even when the app is not open [21]. These mobility data are used by governments and police forces without consent [22]. Waze (owned by Google) has been used by police in several countries for traffic surveillance and social movement monitoring [23]. There is a critical dependence on corporate infrastructure that can be deactivated or monetized at any time.

Ethical alternatives: Organic Maps is the antithesis of Google Maps: offline maps based on OpenStreetMap, with no trackers, no ads, no data collection, no registration, no notifications, no “phoning home” [24]. It is verified by Exodus Privacy, is open source, and was created by former MAPS.ME founders. OsmAnd is also based on OpenStreetMap, is more comprehensive (including contour lines and trails), requires a one-time payment or has a limited free version, and is open source with no tracking [25]. Qwant Maps (French) is another OpenStreetMap-based alternative, with no tracking and a clean interface [26].

 

Video Calls (Zoom, Google Meet, WhatsApp)

Problems: Zoom has a history of serious security breaches (“Zoombombing”), its encryption is not always end-to-end, it performs content surveillance, and its servers are in the US, subject to mass surveillance legislation [27]. Google Meet is integrated into Google’s surveillance ecosystem. WhatsApp, although encrypted, is owned by Meta.

Ethical alternatives: Jitsi Meet is the main recommendation. It is open source, encrypted, requires no registration, works directly in the browser, and allows you to host your own server or use the public instance at meet.jit.si [28]. Signal also offers video calls with the same encryption as its messages, very easy to use if you already have Signal. BigBlueButton is education-focused, open source, and allows self-hosting [29].

 

YouTube

Problems: YouTube is owned by Google, with the same problems of data, surveillance, algorithmic censorship, and extractivist model. It shares Google’s ad network, including advertising from militarized entities. It normalizes mass surveillance through cookies and cross-site tracking [30].

Ethical alternatives: PeerTube is the decentralized video platform of the fediverse, where each “instance” is independent; you can search for a thematic instance (art, technology, ecology) or host your own [31].

 

Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, DeepSeek)

Environmental impact: Large AI models have a hidden and devastating environmental cost. The data centers that power them already account for up to 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and their energy demand will double before the end of the decade [32]. A single AI data center consumes as much electricity as 100,000 homes [33]. Added to this is massive water consumption for cooling, the outsourcing of moderation work to countries with low wages and precarious working conditions, and the fact that the data you enter into their chats becomes company property to further train their models [34].

Every 20 questions you ask ChatGPT consume half a liter of clean water. ChatGPT-4 consumes approximately 50 times more energy per query than DeepSeek, and its training emitted more than 500 tons of CO₂ equivalent, whereas DeepSeek’s training was done with a minimal fraction of that energy thanks to architectural optimizations: a conversation with DeepSeek consumes approximately the same energy as keeping an LED light bulb on for 10 seconds. It is also more transparent about costs: its creators have openly published its architecture, parameters, and training methodology, something OpenAI and Google do not do. And its local version can run on your computer with 16 GB of RAM, with no internet connection and zero consumption from external data centers.

Complicity with war and genocide:

OpenAI (creator of ChatGPT) has an active contract with the US Department of Defense since November 2024 to develop offensive and defensive cybersecurity capabilities, as well as to optimize weapons systems through generative AI. It has explicitly removed from its terms of service the prohibition on using its technology for military purposes. Furthermore, Microsoft (its main investor and technological partner) supplies AI services to the Israeli military through the Azure OpenAI platform, used for intelligence analysis and targeting systems in Gaza.

Anthropic (creator of Claude) maintains partnerships with Palantir, the data analytics company that provides artificial intelligence systems to the CIA, the Pentagon, and Israeli intelligence services. Its models have been integrated into surveillance platforms used in active conflicts.

Google (Gemini) has Project Maven, a program to analyze drone images that was canceled due to pressure from its own workers in 2018, but has been quietly reactivated. It also supplies AI technology to the Israeli military through Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract to provide cloud computing and artificial intelligence services.

DeepSeek is being actively used by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army to develop military technology: autonomous robot dogs, drone swarms, satellite image targeting systems, and sixth-generation fighter jet design [35]. Beihang University uses it to improve drone swarm decision-making against aerial threats.

 

Ethical alternatives:

• Local models (running on your own computer): This is probably the most ethical and sustainable option. There are applications like GPT4All, Ollama, LM Studio, or Jan that allow you to download and run AI models directly on your computer, without an internet connection [36]. Advantages: your data never leaves your device, you only consume your computer’s energy (not that of massive data centers), it is free, and it does not depend on any company or government. The requirement is a computer with at least 16 GB of RAM and a modern processor.

• GreenPT: A sustainable AI platform developed in the Netherlands that runs on renewable energy and reuses the waste heat from its servers to heat buildings and swimming pools. It complies with GDPR and is hosted entirely in Europe [37].

• Neuro-symbolic AI: An alternative approach that mimics the efficiency of the human brain (which operates on just 20 watts of power). It combines neural networks with symbolic reasoning (logic, rules, axioms), allowing models to be up to 100 times smaller than conventional large LLMs [38].

• FLEX (University of Granada): A tool that uses federated learning. Models are trained directly on your local devices and only share anonymous information, ensuring personal data never leaves its place of origin [39].

• Language Pipes and BAZINGA: Open source projects enabling peer-to-peer distributed inference, eliminating corporate control and reducing energy consumption [40].

• AnythingLLM (desktop mode): An application that turns your computer into a fully autonomous local AI agent. It indexes your documents, runs reasoning on your device, and requires no internet connection [41].

Ethical Hardware: Mobile Phones and Computers

Fairphone (mobile phone)

Problem it solves: Most mobile phones are designed to last two or three years, with glued-in batteries that cannot be replaced, screens requiring specialized tools, and software that stops updating when the manufacturer feels like it. This generates mountains of electronic waste and absolute dependence on a handful of manufacturers (Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, etc.) with opaque business models [42].

What Fairphone is: A Dutch company that manufactures the most ethical phone on the market. The Fairphone 5 is designed with a modular system of 10 parts that can be replaced with just a screwdriver. You can change the battery, screen, camera, or USB port without special tools or advanced technical knowledge. It has a repairability score of 9.3 out of 10 [43]. It is made with 70% recycled or fair-trade materials, including 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. For every Fairphone 5 sold, an old phone is recycled or refurbished [44].

Slimbook (laptop made in Spain)

What Slimbook is: A Spanish company (based in Extremadura) that manufactures laptops specifically designed to run Linux. They come without Windows, without bloatware, with free software pre-installed, and with all hardware tested to work perfectly with distributions like KDE Neon, Ubuntu, or Fedora [45]. When you buy a Slimbook, you are not paying for a Windows license and you are supporting a European company with local employment committed to free software.

 

Free Operating Systems (Beyond Windows and macOS)

Why switch: Windows and macOS are owned by two megacorporations (Microsoft and Apple) with business models based on surveillance, planned obsolescence, and user control. Windows 11 requires a Microsoft account to install, sends constant telemetry to its servers, and integrates advertising into the operating system itself [46]. Both companies collaborate with governments on mass surveillance programs [47].

Linux: It is not a company, but an open-source kernel developed by a global community. Hundreds of “distributions” are built on this kernel. All are free, libre, ad-free, telemetry-free, and fully customizable. Linux is widely recognized as the most secure operating system in existence, precisely because its code is public [48].

Distributions for normal users: Ubuntu (the most popular and easy to use), Linux Mint (very similar to Windows), Fedora (more up-to-date), and Debian (the most stable) [49].

Distributions for maximum privacy: Qubes OS (each program runs in an independent virtual machine, recommended by Edward Snowden) and Tails (runs from a USB stick and routes all traffic through the Tor network, used by whistleblowers and journalists) [50].

Distributions for mobile: postmarketOS is a full Linux distribution for mobile devices, built on the original Linux kernel (not on Google’s modified Android). Its goal is to let you keep using your phone for many years, with constant security updates and without depending on Google services [51].

 

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References

[1] Reuters Investigative Series on Helsing and Israel-Gaza tech complicity, 2025

[2] +972 Magazine and The Electronic Intifada, documentation on ICE and Israeli Prison Service ads on streaming platforms, 2024

[3] United Nations database on businesses involved in illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, 2025 update

[4] The Markup, “Spotify Removed Pro-Palestinian Music After Complaints”, 2024

[5] Bandcamp, “Bandcamp Fridays” and commission breakdown, 2025

[6] Qobuz, “Payouts to Artists”, annual report 2025

[7] The Wall Street Journal, “Facebook’s Role in Myanmar’s Rohingya Crisis”, 2018; New York Times, “Cambridge Analytica Scandal”, 2018

[8] United Nations, “Countering Disinformation on Messaging Apps”, 2024 report

[9] WhatsApp, “Updating Our Terms and Privacy Policy”, 2016 announcement

[10] Signal Foundation, “Signal Documentation and Security Features”, 2025

[11] European Commission, “Antitrust: Commission Fines Google”, 2018; DuckDuckGo, “Google’s Search Monopoly”, 2025

[12] Electronic Frontier Foundation, “Google’s Collaboration with Law Enforcement”, 2024

[13] Goldman Sachs, “AI is poised to drive 160% increase in data center power demand”, 2025

[14] DuckDuckGo, “Privacy Policy and Practices”, 2025

[15] ProtonMail, “Why Switzerland?”; Tutanota, “GDPR Compliance”, 2025

[16] Nextcloud, “Self-hosted File Storage”; CryptPad, “End-to-end Encryption”, 2025

[17] Mozilla, “Firefox Privacy Features”; Brave, “Brave vs Chrome”, 2025

[18] The Intercept, “Meta’s Censorship of Pro-Palestinian Content”, 2024; Wall Street Journal, “Facebook’s Algorithm and Teen Mental Health”, 2025

[19] Pixelfed, “Official Documentation and Federation”, 2025

[20] ActivityPub, “W3C Recommendation”; Fediverse Observer, “State of the Fediverse”, 2025

[21] Google, “Location History and Web & App Activity” (EFF critique), 2025

[22] ACLU, “Law Enforcement Use of Location Data”, 2024

[23] Vice News, “Police Are Using Waze to Track Drivers”, 2019; 2025 update

[24] Organic Maps, “Exodus Privacy Report and GDPR Compliance”, 2025

[25] OsmAnd, “Open Source Navigation Features and Pricing”, 2025

[26] Qwant, “Qwant Maps Launch and Privacy Commitments”, 2025

[27] Citizen Lab, “Zoom Security and Encryption Analysis”, 2024; Electronic Frontier Foundation, “Zoom’s Surveillance Features”, 2024

[28] Jitsi, “Jitsi Meet Documentation and Self-Hosting Guide”, 2025

[29] BigBlueButton, “Open Source Web Conferencing for Education”, 2025

[30] Google Transparency Report; Electronic Frontier Foundation, “YouTube’s Surveillance Advertising Model”, 2024

[31] PeerTube, “Framasoft’s Decentralized Video Platform Documentation”, 2025

[32] Goldman Sachs, “AI is poised to drive 160% increase in data center power demand”, 2025

[33] International Energy Agency (IEA), “Data Centers and Data Transmission Networks”, 2025

[34] The Guardian, “Revealed: The true cost of training AI models”, 2024; Rest of World, “The invisible workers powering AI”, 2025

[35] Reuters, “China’s DeepSeek: The AI model helping the PLA modernize warfare”, February 2025; Agence France-Presse, “DeepSeek: China’s military AI breakthrough”, February 2025

[36] GPT4All, “Local LLM Documentation”; Ollama, “Run LLMs Locally”; Jan.ai, “Open Source Alternative to ChatGPT”, 2025

[37] GreenPT, “Sustainable AI Platform”, Netherlands, 2025

[38] Nature Machine Intelligence, “The Promise of Neuro-Symbolic AI”, 2024

[39] University of Granada, “FLEX: Federated Learning for Everyone”, 2025

[40] Language Pipes, “Peer-to-Peer Distributed Inference”; BAZINGA, “Open Source P2P AI”, 2025

[41] AnythingLLM, “Desktop AI Agent Documentation”, 2025

[42] Right to Repair Europe, “The State of Electronics Repair”, 2025

[43] Fairphone, “Fairphone 5 Technical Specifications and Repairability Score”, 2025

[44] Fairphone, “Sustainability Report and Materials Sourcing”, 2025

[45] Slimbook, “Linux Laptops Made in Spain”, 2025

[46] Microsoft, “Windows 11 System Requirements and Privacy Settings” (EFF critique); Electronic Frontier Foundation, “Windows 11 Telemetry”, 2025

[47] The Intercept, “Apple and Microsoft’s Surveillance Collaborations”, 2024

[48] Linux Foundation, “Why Open Source is More Secure”, 2025

[49] DistroWatch, “Top Linux Distributions 2025”

[50] Qubes OS, “Why Qubes is the most secure OS”, 2025; Tails, “Amnesiac Live System Documentation”, 2025

[51] postmarketOS, “A Linux Distribution for Mobile Devices”, 2025

[52] Fediverse Observer, “Complete Guide to the Fediverse 2025”

[53] Open Source Initiative, “What is Open Source Software?”; alternatives documented at AlternativeTo.net

[54] Exodus Privacy, “Privacy Analyzer for Android Apps”; PrivacyTests.org, “Browser Privacy Test Results”; Ethical.net, “Directory of Ethical Alternatives”, 2025

[55] “Digital sufficiency” principle developed by multiple authors at The Green Web Foundation and Low-tech Magazine, 2024-2025