Catch up on all the horror stories from big tech - from May. And some tech, film, blog and book tips.

Please make a protest by filling in this anonymous survey (doesn't matter what country you're in) with the text below. Deadline tonight (26th).

Paste the text (or even better, slight variations of it):

REGULATE THE TECH COMPANIES, NOT THE PUBLIC. THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT ISSUE, NOT A BAN

into every text field. N.B. many questions have a "Other (please specify)" field - that is where you enter the free text.

Reasons in the blog post.

Please share!

A bit of fun: throw boulders at the tech bros!

What high score can you get? (It gets progressively harder - they appear for shorter and shorter times - and the game finishes when they are too fast). You can play it on your mobile phone too.

We don't condone violence! This is just a bit of 8-bit fun.

hi everyone, We're on a mission to get as many people off Big Tech products as we can, and as many people away from the surveillance economy. And since that starts early we've made this page for parents to find the best tech tips to keep their children safe.

[Note on social media: we do not support a ban for social media, we think the tech companies should fix their products instead. But since that will probably never happen, and the best option - never use social media - is probably not practical for many families, we've listed alternatives on this page.]

We welcome any tips that parents here can share - stuff that's worked for you to keep your children safe from big tech. It doesn't have to be app alternatives - it can be habits / mindset stuff too. Or it could be stuff that's not worked / pitfalls.

Please also let us know if anything currently on the page looks wrong or misleading.

Be mindful that this is aimed at totally non-technical-minded parents.

Thank you!

SUMMARY

Filen continues to focus on foundational development, prioritizing backend improvements and team expansion. Recent efforts have centered on hiring, particularly senior full-stack developers (React/React Native & TypeScript), aiming to build a stronger, more ownership-focused product team.

Key developments include a 99% complete Rust SDK migration, including a rewrite of the sync engine for improved reliability and a new mobile app built on this SDK. Additionally, the team addressed recent feedback regarding free account creation changes by implementing a clearer eligibility indicator before account creation.

The referral system is also being refined with automated protections to combat abuse, ensuring users receive the intended bonus storage. Smaller infrastructure tasks and bug fixes are ongoing, alongside the development of Filen Relay – a testing tool for serving Filen Drive over various protocols (still experimental).

Filen is actively recruiting and remains committed to transparency, frequently monitoring feedback and adjusting strategies. The team is focused on long-term product stability and growth, acknowledging that quieter development phases are crucial for future success.

Here's a year-long programme to get yourself off Big Tech products, step-by-step.

Many here will already have done this, but please share with your friends and family who are still yet to take that journey.

Let's stop feeding the (data) beast! This movement requires huge numbers of people to do it, to be really effective, so all upvoting is appreciated 😀

We have no marketing budget and are trying to get as many people away from Big Tech surveillance as possible. Please share this link with friends and family, and on social media.

It contains a full link index of all our Alternatives pages, as well as links to our Big Tech Walkout programme, and a Quick Start section for those who just want to grab the top choices.

Thank you!

Patrick (Rebel Tech Alliance)

Our latest blog post is aimed at people who 'get it' about online privacy, but who struggle to convince friends and family to take it seriously. We hope it helps!

The Digital Omnibus needs to be defeated.

Great data visualisation on this - new accounts on X and the extreme content the algorithm pushes at them.