Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Do US tech firms realize the backlash growing in Europe?

news.ycombinator.com

191–200 of 318 posts

Re: Ask HN: Do US tech firms realize the backlash growing in Europe?

#191
post #44

> do they take it seriously or believe there is no alternative to US tech There isn't, broadly speaking. Oh yeah, gonna use OpenEuroLLM? Have y'all made the ePhone yet or is that still stuck in committee? Other countries will moan for a bit, no one likes having their free money and handouts taken away, then realize that US technology is still broadly the only option, and its actually quite good and even other US comp…

Things won't happen overnight, but this is a big push for Europe to get its act together regarding tech. And if Europe can't manage it, there's also China. If the US becomes a dictatorship, then Europe might as well turn to Chinese tech, since they at least seem more stable and sane.

Re: Ask HN: Do US tech firms realize the backlash growing in Europe?

#192
post #182
post #99

> the US completely destroyed its soft power this week Soft power sounds like manipulation to me. So if we destroyed our manipulation, great. The United States has put its fingers on too many scales rather than respecting the rights of individuals in other countries to manage their affairs the way they see fit. I welcome tech competition from Europe. Let the best products and services win.

> Soft power sounds like manipulation to me. So if we destroyed our manipulation, great. Wow. So hard power -- literally killing others -- is OK, but "manipulating" them is not? The fact is, power is power, "soft" or "hard," and we are discarding ours for nothing. Also, alliances are not "manipulation." Working together against a common foe is not manipulation. Trade agreements are not manipulation.

> Wow. So hard power -- literally killing others -- is OK

I'm not sure where you read that in my comment. That's not something I wrote, and it's not something I believe.

Re: Ask HN: Do US tech firms realize the backlash growing in Europe?

#194
post #44

> do they take it seriously or believe there is no alternative to US tech There isn't, broadly speaking. Oh yeah, gonna use OpenEuroLLM? Have y'all made the ePhone yet or is that still stuck in committee? Other countries will moan for a bit, no one likes having their free money and handouts taken away, then realize that US technology is still broadly the only option, and its actually quite good and even other US comp…

iPhone is a bad example. It’s built by 10s of company accros many, mostly Asian, country.

Most stuff is. Even some people and companies in Europe had a hand in building it; at the very least I'm sure Apple has software teams there, and ASML is dutch.

We're a deeply interconnected world. Few parts of it can be self-sufficient while retaining the standard of living they're used to. This is true for no region more than Europe. Europe, broadly, relies more on the productivity, output, energy, and innovation of America and Asia for their standard of living than any other region, including America and Asia on each other or on Europe.

The iPhone is an interesting example because Apple's Asia sales did drop last quarter; but that drop was compensated for by a ~$3B increase in European sales. That's the trend I'd bet money on continuing. Europe doesn't have any other choice, and except on some fringe issues Europe's purported culture and values align far more with even Trump's America than China. Europe cannot afford to not pick a side in that adversarial relationship.

Tbh, Europeans broadly trying to boycott American companies gives real "toddler throwing a tantrum because his parents made him eat broccoli" vibes. At best, its unserious. At worst, its only going to harm Europe. Europe should make efforts toward reducing its dependence on the rest of the world, but their leadership is deeply unserious about doing so, and even if they became serious it would take many decades to reach even the only America or Asia is at.

Re: Ask HN: Do US tech firms realize the backlash growing in Europe?

#195
post #6

Good headlines for sure, but i wonder: Suppose the war ends. Will the Europeans keep boycotting the cheap russian gas? Tarriffs are a nuisance to the US - the US doesn't export much.

> Tarriffs are a nuisance to the US - the US doesn't export much.

Technology, services, social media... the US export A LOT to Europe. Any iPhone sold in Europe is money that goes to the US, any app sold in Europe is money that goes to the US. Any Ad seen on the web/social in Europe is money that goes to the us...

"Apple recorded sales of over 101 billion U.S. dollars in Europe during FY 2024, reaching an all-time high across the continent. " [1]

If Europe would start tariffs on those, it would be a lot of money.

[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/349086/apple-net-sales-i...

Re: Ask HN: Do US tech firms realize the backlash growing in Europe?

#196
post #133
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would you mind sharing some of your favorites for us Yanks? Some of us like privacy too.

Protonmail and Tutanota are the two big ones with e2ee This site is great for finding alternatives to any piece of software (not just OSS) https://alternativeto.net/

Protonmail is pro Trump.

https://theintercept.com/2025/01/28/proton-mail-andy-yen-tru...

Re: Ask HN: Do US tech firms realize the backlash growing in Europe?

#197
post #191
post #44

> do they take it seriously or believe there is no alternative to US tech There isn't, broadly speaking. Oh yeah, gonna use OpenEuroLLM? Have y'all made the ePhone yet or is that still stuck in committee? Other countries will moan for a bit, no one likes having their free money and handouts taken away, then realize that US technology is still broadly the only option, and its actually quite good and even other US comp…

Things won't happen overnight, but this is a big push for Europe to get its act together regarding tech. And if Europe can't manage it, there's also China. If the US becomes a dictatorship, then Europe might as well turn to Chinese tech, since they at least seem more stable and sane.

Oligarchical & oppressive dictatorships do tend to have some guise of stability; though whether that aligns with Europe's values more than American values depends most on how far Europe has fallen, and how much gaslighting they're willing to do to themselves and their people. I tend to believe Europe is better than that; as JD Vance said in Munich this week: If your democracy can be bought for a few hundred thousand in online ads, it must not have been very strong to begin with.

Europe also has the express disadvantage of having a rather combative and expansionist nation to their east, who is allied with China. It relies on the United States for something like 70% of aggregate defense spending in NATO. I think we'll see those numbers shift, I hope we do, but as you say: It won't happen overnight.

But sure; if you feel that the country which participates in the systematic forced labor imprisonment and forced organ harvesting of ethnic minorities is a better cultural ally than the United States, even considering what the United States has done recently... well, maybe JD Vance is right.

My hope is, genuinely, as you first say: Europe needs to get its act together and become more self-sufficient. That's been a major topic of Trump's, and it would ultimately benefit the world, most of all Europe.

Re: Ask HN: Do US tech firms realize the backlash growing in Europe?

#198
post #69
post #2

Tesla FSD wont be authorized in Europe, this will be one direct consequence of all of that. In addition, tariffs will be put on cars coming from the US. Plus, US is now recognized as a very unreliable partner in terms of defense, that Europe regrets buying their systems.

I have a Tesla with so-called FSD in Europe, and it still feels like it’s ten years away from being road-safe. It can’t even recognize speed limit signs correctly. I bought this car six years ago paying for the FSD feature upfront, and since then Tesla and their CEO have been constantly lying about it. I’ll never buy another car from this company just for this reason. I think Musk probably sees the writing on the wal…

Don forget that while Musk talks trash about defending freedom, the US government, and astronauts he says nothing about China with whom he has very unique business arrangements (not as strict as most US companies there).

Re: Ask HN: Do US tech firms realize the backlash growing in Europe?

#199
post #187

I am European and I've never even seen anyone talking about it outside the internet. Majority of people do not know and do not care.

Thanks for this, as an American I was stressing out. But if it's only Europeans with internet access talking about it we should be fine. Let's just hope Europeans don't start using the internet.

Re: Ask HN: Do US tech firms realize the backlash growing in Europe?

#200
post #21

The majority of Americans do not care and do not really want US tech to be global. The majority of Americans are ashamed of US soft power and the way we meddle with other countries constantly. While loss of dollar hegemony will have economic implicatiosn for the US, American's just don't really care about having dollar hegemony. We don't care about any of these things or what Europe is doing.

> " The majority of Americans do not care and do not really want US tech to be global. " They will care very, very much when it bites them in terms of higher prices and loss of jobs because of decreased tech exports. Dollar hegemony has benefitted the US economy tremendously over the past few decades; money rushed _into_ US dollar denominated holdings in the 2008 crash as one big example.

[deleted]
Post reply on HN