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ReclaimControl.Tech

How to work together
to reclaim our digital future.

Guides Start Allies Try Join
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A different how-to

Let's Work Together

This is not a guide to more 'ethical consumption' of products and services.

It is a call to a new kind of participation.

A form of collective action in which we withhold our data from Big Tech, withhold our labor (clicking, scrolling, liking, and training systems) from Surveillance Capitalism, and find new forms of community and social solidarity in caring for our systems and for each other.

The guides begin with things you can do, individually. They work best when you find your people and work together to reclaim control.

They also recognize that all technologies are social. Just downloading a new tool isn't enough.

Our guides recognize that change is sociotechnical. We form new habits, forge community ties, and seek systems that connect us, support our autonomy, and help us govern ourselves in more inspiring ways.

Go ahead! Take a guide to a hangout or dinner party. Invite your friends, classmates or co-workers. Don't work alone. And have fun!

Downloadable Guides

Take 'em to a party!

Our Tech Reclaimers guides are community sourced and tested to create 1-2 pages you can work from at home or take with you to a gathering.

System About Description
Signal Messaging Say it Securely
Firefox Browsers Chuck Chrome
Pixelfed Social Media Improve on Instagram
Coming soon! Music Sayonara, Spotify
Coming soon! Smart Television Ta-ta, Tube

Join our friendly Signal chat, Discord, or Forum to contribute, get ideas, support others, and ask questions.

Get Stared

Introductory Resources

We have friends everywhere

Allies, People, and Organizations

The Opt Out Project
Tech Reclaimers co-founder, Princeton Professor and long time 'opt out' advocate Janet Vertesi, refreshes your tech perspective and offers alternatives to everyday tools.
The Rebel Tech Alliance
This EU based organization, Rebel Tech Alliance offers a list of alternative systems to try and presents a map of "ethical tech" in Europe.
Tech Critics we Follow
For inspiration, subscribe to informed tech critics The Opt Out Project, Joan Westenberg, Cory Doctorow, and danah boyd.
The School of Radical Attention
Retrain your brain away from the constant stream of notifications through SoRA's workshops and tips on developing that most human of skills, focused and intentioned attention.
APPstinence
Started by a Harvard student, APPstinence.org helps Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha disentangle their lives from social media.
Pull The Plug AI
Follow this instagram account to help inspire you to resist AI.
Privacy Guides
Excellent reporting and writing about contemporary issues in privacy, including Matrix and Github chats and a good newsletter and Mastodon instance.
Good Internet
Good Internet is a volunteer run, non-profit print and digital magazine for website owners and internet users interested in self-expression and art.
Big Trek from Big Tech
Per Axbom Offers a list of alternative ideas for hosting blogs, photos, chat, email, notes and more, with many options all in one place.
Digital Ministry, France
In a clever name that recalls both a suite of office tools and a call to "what's next," the French Government released an Office replacement called "La Suite."
The Framasoft Collaboration
"De-Googlisons" ("let's de-Google") offers alternative and ethical services from the Free Software community, instead of from giant companies.
Naomi Brockwell TV
Naomi Brockwell makes terrific videos about privacy, explainers about what the problem is with the data economy and the social web. Support her here.
The Future Is Federated
Italian filmmaker Elena Rossini reviews and demonstrates alternatives to centralized social media systems, walking you through step by step as you try out social platforms that are here to connect, not divide us.
Yael's Big Ass Data Broker Opt Out List
Journalist Yael Grauber maintains an incredible list of data brokerage systems. Working step by step, you can remove yourself from the data dragnet.
How I disconnected from tech in 2025
From Derek Beyer on Substack.
What Technology Takes from Us--
And how to take it back, by Rebecca Solnit

Tried and Tested

Alternatives we Love

Tool Type Description
Signal Messaging A fully encrypted messaging system
Delta-Chat Messaging A decentralized and secure messaging system
Veilid File transfer Decentralized, peer to peer file transfering service, so your files cannot be traced.
Resilio Sync File syncing Like a Dropbox, but scatters your files in pieces (like Torrenting), making them hard for others to recover
SyncThing File syncing Open source sync system between folders on different computers.
Bonfire Networks Social Media A Mastodon-style experience for the Fediverse that includes "Circles" (i.e. groups) and easier privacy permissions ("boundaries")
Mozilla Browser and Email Both a foundation and a corporation, Mozilla makes the Firefox browser and Thunderbird Mail.
Kagi Search Pay a monthly subscription for no ads, with full privacy.
DuckDuckGo Search, Browser, Privacy tools Privacy oriented search, a fun browser, good tools for turning off AI, and offers privacy tools as well as searching images and maps via proxy.
Tor Browser Bounces your signal around the internet so you are almost impossible to pinpoint.
SailfishOS Phone OS A fully data sovereign EU alternative phone based on the old Nokia handsets, built on Linux. Only available for certain Sony handsets or the Jolla handset.
GrapheneOS Phone OS A de-Googled Android version that offers special tools for sandboxing and maintaining multiple identities. Only available for certain Pixel phones.
PostmarketOS Phone OS Open Source Linux phone project in development that runs on many different phones.
Privacy.com Credit Cards Create limited use credit card numbers for one-time or fixed-merchant transactions. US only.
YUNOHOST Self-hosting Easy setup for first time self-hosters, to run many of your own apps.
Sandstorm Self-hosting Manage your own web-apps like etherpad (notes) or personal kanban boards through your own online portal.
Nextcloud Office An office suite to replace Google Workspace or Office 365. Can self-host or choose a service provider
Tuta Email Based in Germany, provides easy non-Google email accounts with extra bells and whistles.
Proton Email and Docs Offers fully encrypted email, password management, and collaborative document editor
Fastmail Email Based in Australia, offers easy to use non-Google email accounts and other features too.
Cryptpad Office A fully encrypted collaborative document editor, allows you to share files and folders to co-write different kinds of documents and Kanban boards
Ente Photos Photos Private, secure, encrypted photos app, can be self-hosted; has a "friendship" discount for users of TutaMail.
Plex Media Host your own movies and TV shows, and share with others via a Plex account.
Jellyfin Media Stream your media to any device, movies, shows, music, books and photos.

For more ideas, check-out Open Alternative to search for open source alternatives to popular software.

It takes a village

Join our network of conscientious objectors.

Become a Tech Reclaimer!

Don't work alone! We are here to help you -- and you can help others too!

Chat with our community!

Become part of our helpful community by entering the chat on Signal or Discord. Ask questions, share your experiences, and reclaim our digital lives!

Follow us online!

We post Reclaimers events and tips on Mastodon and Bluesky to help you in your journey to a new digital you. Use #ReclaimTech to connect!

Stop the Scroll!

On the first of the month, every month, join in #StopTheScroll to shift your habits in community with thousands of other looking to reclaim control.

Watch our videos!

Talks and tips on our Peertube channel.