Ask HN: Do US tech firms realize the backlash growing in Europe? • Hacker News Board

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

#41

Post by 34679 » Sat, Feb 22, 2025, 3:02 PM UTC

Daril wrote: post #8

For what it counts, I deleted my Amazon account today (and lost all my Kindle books in the process), I'll never buy anything from them again. I'll close my S3 storage account with a US company in the coming months : I'll switch to a German service. In the coming weeks, I'll also delete my GMail account (my devices are already deGoogled since many years). There a lot of European alternatives that respect our privacy,…

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

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

#42

Post by 0xbs0d » Sat, Feb 22, 2025, 3:02 PM UTC

unosama wrote: 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.

Tbh it's the same sentiment in Europe as well. We really want to stop caring who is your new/next president what side of the bed did he wake up on.

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

#43

Post by Daril » Sat, Feb 22, 2025, 3:02 PM UTC

Daril wrote: post #8

For what it counts, I deleted my Amazon account today (and lost all my Kindle books in the process), I'll never buy anything from them again. I'll close my S3 storage account with a US company in the coming months : I'll switch to a German service. In the coming weeks, I'll also delete my GMail account (my devices are already deGoogled since many years). There a lot of European alternatives that respect our privacy,…

From a software developer viewpoint, my biggest worry is about GitHub, owned by Microsoft. I self host my open source code with Forgejo.

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

#44

Post by 827a » Sat, Feb 22, 2025, 3:02 PM UTC

> 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 companies cant compete with US big tech with all of the free money here, let alone the tech-backward eurozone. Right now its the UK forcing Apple to remove Advanced Data Protection for UK citizens (not the eurozone, to be clear, but adjacent and culturally aligned)

The "boycotts" are great for headlines though (don't worry, Apple's revenue this year will be larger than ever, as always). If y'all don't want to buy Teslas though, I get that; I feel the same way.

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

#45

Post by blargthorwars » Sat, Feb 22, 2025, 3:02 PM UTC

lompad wrote: post #16

alanfranz wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Will this really happen? Or will the US prevent Europe from doing that by saying “then defend from Russia all by yourself?”

That's already expected. Right now, preparations are made for nuclear (re-)armament of europe. Germany in particular is working towards that at this moment [EDIT: politically. not in the "actively preparing weapons"-phase.]. Also, france has a first-strike policy. So even without US troops, europe will be fine. A sizable part of the population has wanted the US out of especially germany for a looong time now, so thos…

>>france has a first-strike policy.

It's served us well having a member of NATO saying they'll go full-on nuts. One of the best deterrents ever. Thanks France, with love, USA.

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

#46

Post by julianpye » Sat, Feb 22, 2025, 3:02 PM UTC

aman-pro wrote: post #4

Any links to read what people in EU are saying?

The FT Editorial Board: "America has turned" - https://www.ft.com/content/1511aa42-a9ad-4952-99c8-98bea07d0...

Max Hastings: The trauma of Trump: can we still do business with his America? - https://www.thetimes.com/comment/columnists/article/the-trau...

FT: US tech will pay a price for Donald Trump’s approval - https://www.ft.com/content/2347e5d3-cbc2-4128-a108-bb89558e3...

FT: How Washington plans to defend the dollar - this is about Crypto - https://www.ft.com/content/bfafb8f7-bd1c-48bb-85f4-8ba25475c...

FT: Donald Trump considers tarriffs to counter Big Tech service taxes: - https://www.ft.com/content/558b5a20-c25e-483d-8fdc-bbfd2923a...

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

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

#47

Post by xg15 » Sat, Feb 22, 2025, 3:02 PM UTC

Wishing and doing are two different things. Integration of US products and services is still incredibly deep in Europe, as is political cooperation on all layers. I don't think this can be abandoned on a whim, even if people wanted to.

(Same goes for the other side of the geopolitical aisle: European politicians would have liked a much faster and much more comprehensive economic decoupling from China since at least the start of the Ukraine war. But feedback from the private sector was pretty clear that this would have been economic suicide. Hence the official stance is now "de-risking" instead of "decoupling")

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

#48

Post by legitster » Sat, Feb 22, 2025, 3:02 PM UTC

My experience is in SaaS marketing.

EMEA has always been a soft market for tech. And it's always been a cost center for regionalization and compliance.

A move away from US tech is not necessarily new or surprising. But it's also not as damning to the bottom line as one would expect.

I will say that the tech sector in Europe is not nearly as robust. While alternatives exist for some products, they are not likely going to find international markets of their own. (Overgeneralization, obv).

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

#49

Post by alabastervlog » Sat, Feb 22, 2025, 3:02 PM UTC

dukeyukey wrote: post #12

alanfranz wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Will this really happen? Or will the US prevent Europe from doing that by saying “then defend from Russia all by yourself?”

The US is already effectively saying that.

Yeah when you unilaterally give up your largest bargaining chip, you stop getting any say in what happens.

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

#50

Post by madspindel » Sat, Feb 22, 2025, 3:02 PM UTC

I've sold all my holdings in US companies to instead invest in STOXX Europe 600 alternatives. I know others here in Sweden that have said they have done the same.

In Sweden, Russia has always been the enemy.

My prediction is that France and Germany will soon join the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) and it will be the end of NATO. UK will probably join the Maximator intelligence alliance.

The death of Five Eyes and NATO in 2025 was not on my bingo card. Good luck with your new alliance with the Russians, Americans!