Denmark's struggle to break up with Silicon Valley

Geopolitics, Trust, and Anti‑US Sentiment

• Several comments frame Denmark’s decoupling as part of a wider European reaction to the current US administration, Greenland annexation talk, and perceived US unreliability.
• Some argue this will accelerate EU moves toward open source, local startups, and deeper ties with non‑US powers; others think US advantages (capital markets, universities, AI leadership) remain hard to overcome.
• There is broader criticism of US elites and tech figures, and the idea that US tech wealth rests on political backing, regulatory arbitrage, and data exploitation rather than “special skill.”

Convenience vs Digital Sovereignty

• One side claims “nobody needs” US platforms (Facebook, Visa, Netflix, Microsoft, Google, Uber) and that they’re parasitic middlemen extracting rents and data.
• The counterargument is that convenience dominates user behavior: people want these services, willingly trade data, and won’t revert to maps, cash, or local apps at scale.
• Some non‑US commenters say the political, cultural, and ethical “cost” of relying on US tech now outweighs that convenience.

Building European Alternatives

• Many expect more EU money for sovereign infrastructure (e.g., DNS, open‑source stacks) but worry it will flow to “dinosaurs” and bureaucracy instead of agile teams.
• Others note that the tech already exists (Linux, LibreOffice, EU hosting) and the real challenge is integration, migration, and mindset, not pure engineering.
• There’s debate over whether local clones are a dead end compared to leapfrogging to “the next big thing.”

Denmark vs Google and the News Industry

• The Google experiment removing Danish news for some users is seen by critics as unconsented manipulation and a national‑security issue; defenders say all search is algorithmic and A/B testing is standard.
• Danish media and lawmakers treat journalism as a public good essential to democracy, not just another business input to Google’s ad machine.
• Skeptics see the Danish press collective and EU “link tax” style rules as a cartelized shakedown: forcing a foreign monopoly to subsidize legacy media.
• Others warn that making news outlets financially dependent on state‑designed schemes or mandated payments from a few platforms risks press independence.

Defense, Power, and Alignment

• Commenters link digital sovereignty to NATO dependence: Europe wants less reliance on US defense and tech but can’t unwind this quickly.
• Some argue the US has long pushed Europe to spend more on defense—but often in ways that keep Europe tied to US weapons, standards, and political choices.

Talent and Migration

• A side thread debates US tech workers moving to Europe: interest is high, but Europeans question bringing FAANG‑level wealth into tighter housing markets and doubt that imported talent alone can create “a European Silicon Valley.”