The concept of owning infrastructure resonates across physical and digital realms, from highways to housing. While Europe has historically lagged in treating digital services as public infrastructure, the current political climate under Trump highlights the need for skepticism toward American corporations. The goal should not be replacing US giants with European ones, but striving for collective ownership where profit-driven companies remain easily replaceable.

Open standards are crucial for this independence, allowing interoperability much like the early Internet’s modular hardware supply chain. However, communication tools often escape this scrutiny despite being vital human infrastructure. Advocates frequently cite Signal, Wire, and Threema as ethical alternatives to Big Tech, yet these platforms operate as walled gardens without true interoperability.

Even if Signal uses ethical practices, relying on a single provider lacks a safety hedge. If servers shut down or policies shift, users have no escape. Open-source software ensures code transparency and sound encryption, unlike WhatsApp and other Meta products, but it does not protect against service discontinuation. True digital sovereignty requires open standards that allow smaller players to connect and interoperate, ensuring long-term resilience and user control over their communication infrastructure.