Getting Started: Your First Month of Digital Sovereignty
The first steps in your digital sovereignty journey can feel overwhelming. This comprehensive guide walks you through practical changes you can implement in your first month to make meaningful progress toward digital independence.
Why Start Your Digital Sovereignty Journey?
Most people begin thinking about digital sovereignty after a privacy concern or data breach makes headlines. Others grow uncomfortable with how their data is being used for targeted advertising or how dependent they’ve become on a handful of tech companies. Whatever your motivation, taking action is empowering.
Week 1: Quick Wins
Start with these simple changes that provide immediate privacy benefits with minimal disruption:
Browser Migration
Replace your current browser with a privacy-focused alternative like Vivaldi (Finnish company) or LibreWolf. Both offer familiar interfaces with significantly improved privacy protections.
Setup time: 15-30 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner
Impact: High
Search Engine Switch
Change your default search engine from Google to Perplexity or Brave Search. This immediately reduces your data exposure while maintaining quality search results.
Setup time: 5 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner
Impact: High
Note-Taking Tool
Install Joplin for secure, encrypted note-taking. Use it to document your sovereignty journey and begin migrating important notes from cloud-based services.
Setup time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner
Impact: Medium
Week 2: Communication Privacy
Now that you’ve established some basics, focus on securing your communications:
Email Assessment
Take inventory of your email accounts and identify which ones contain important information. Begin researching alternatives like ProtonMail (Swiss) or OVHcloud Email (French).
Setup time: 30-60 minutes (assessment only)
Difficulty: Beginner
Impact: Planning stage
Secure Messaging
Install Signal as an alternative to WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger for secure, encrypted communication. Begin introducing it to close contacts.
Setup time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner
Impact: High (once contacts adopt it)
Week 3: Document Management
This week focuses on regaining control of your documents and files:
Office Suite Transition
Install LibreOffice as an alternative to Microsoft Office. Begin creating new documents in open formats and converting important existing files.
Setup time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner
Impact: Medium
Cloud Storage Evaluation
Research NextCloud providers or other privacy-respecting storage options. Begin categorizing which files you’ll need to migrate from services like Google Drive or OneDrive.
Setup time: 60 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate
Impact: Planning stage
Week 4: Consolidation and Planning
In the final week of your first month, review your progress and plan next steps:
Email Migration Preparation
Set up your new email account and begin the migration process by updating crucial services with your new address.
Setup time: 2-3 hours (spread over several days)
Difficulty: Intermediate
Impact: High
Password Manager
Set up Bitwarden or another open-source password manager to secure your accounts and make future migrations easier.
Setup time: 60 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate
Impact: High
Next Steps Planning
Based on your first month’s experience, create a prioritized list for month two. Consider hardware upgrades, domain registration, or more advanced privacy measures.
Common Challenges and Solutions
Challenge: Browser Extensions Compatibility
Solution: Most popular extensions are available for privacy browsers. If you can’t find an exact match, research privacy-respecting alternatives.
Challenge: File Format Compatibility
Solution: LibreOffice can open and save in Microsoft formats, though complex formatting may require adjustments. Save in open formats moving forward.
Challenge: Resistance from Contacts
Solution: Start small by introducing Signal to close friends and family. Create simple guides to help them understand the benefits and setup process.
Celebrate Your Progress
Remember that digital sovereignty is a journey, not a destination. Each change you make increases your independence and privacy. By completing your first month, you’ve already taken significant steps toward reclaiming control of your digital life.
In next month’s guide, we’ll explore more advanced measures including email migration completion, cloud storage setup, and domain registration for your personal digital identity.