Over the past few weeks, I’ve received a number of encouraging responses to my posts and articles about the European Digital Autonomy Initiative (EDAI). Many of you appreciated the focus on European or open-source alternatives, the importance of using privacy-respecting services, or the need for stronger EU policy and public funding in this field.
All of that is great — and yes, it is part of the vision.
But if I may be honest: I have the feeling that my core message may not have come through clearly yet.
What is the actual novelty here?
I do not claim to be the first or the only one working on these questions. Quite the opposite: I now realise how many excellent initiatives already exist. Many people and organisations have long been developing European alternatives, advocating for open technologies, or working on digital sovereignty policies. I salute that.
The EDAI is not meant to replace any of these. It is meant to connect them.
My approach is not about a single issue or a specific action. It is about seeing these efforts as parts of a larger system. A system that has been missing from most public debates: a strategic framework that connects awareness, governance, and innovation.
I call these the three pillars of European Digital Autonomy:
Many initiatives already operate in one or two of these domains. But what I haven’t seen — and what I believe could make a real difference — is a shared framework where we see how these elements reinforce each other.
A better search engine is great. So is better funding regulation. So is media literacy. But the breakthrough will only come when these things are mutually catalytic.
From independence to interdependence
Everyone will naturally focus on what they know best. A coder will code. A researcher will analyse. An activist will mobilise. That’s how it should be.
But if we want more than partial improvements — if we want strategic change — we need to understand how all these efforts fit together. That’s what the EDAI attempts to provide: a systemic lens and a space to align our steps.
It doesn’t mean giving up independence. It means recognising interdependence.
If this speaks to you, stay tuned. In the coming days, I will ask for your thoughts on how we might go about finding collaborators for this idea within the Fediverse community. It’s not a fully-formed plan yet — and that’s exactly why your input could make a real difference.
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https://techtonicshift.vivaldi.net/2025/05/11/the-bigger-picture/
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