Setting Floridaresa and refuses Google and Netflix: “Frustrated over the greed”
The family’s GoogleHub, which was previously used extensively in the kitchen to seek dinner recipes, is retired. The Netflix account is terminated and the travel plans in connection with the 50th anniversary have been redirected from Miami to Thailand.
Helge Skogsrud, 49, wants to do what he himself calls a “USA-detox” in protest of its new administration.
– I feel a frustration over greed and stupidity from Trump and the gang. I’ve had enough. I can’t cope, I don’t want to sponsor anymore, he says.
But is it not a bit drastic – this is a country that we have shared values with for several decades?
– Well, I also realized that when I made the decision. We are so intertwined, so I realized that this will be difficult too. But it just feels right.
Most difficult will be the digital detox, he tracks. On his computer, he has started a “tree” with alternative choices for US IT services, such as cloud services, mail account and browser. Among other things with the help of the site European alternatives which lists such services from Europe.
– It gave me a pretty good start. And I found it by chance when I searched. Or googled, rather, before I stopped using Google.
“Quite overwhelming”
That Helge is not alone in his thoughts confirms the site’s young creator, Constantin Graf, from Austria. He has recently been able to see the number of visitors on the site multiply. From 30-50,000 a normal month-to 500,000 in February.
– It has been quite overwhelming, if I am to be honest. I get lots of messages and suggestions for services to add. It’s so much that I can’t answer everything, he says.
But the question then is whether the boycott gives any effect? Helge Skogsrud does not expect Donald Trump to take note of his little action.
– No, I don’t think so. But I think maybe that if more people do like me – and it seems they do – then maybe it affects opinion formation in the United States. Something that might make them rethink. Because it seems that the money is still controlling, he says.