Logo
Community

The IO+ Week: We’re far from ready for digital independence

Our weekly roundup offers a Sunday overview of the most interesting stories around key innovations, with a focus on the Netherlands.

Published on January 25, 2026

two speeds in resilience: industry vs government

two speeds in resilience: industry vs government © IO+, source RaboResearch

Bart Brouwers

By: Bart Brouwers

Bart, co-founder of Media52 and Professor of Journalism oversees IO+, events, and Laio. A journalist at heart, he keeps writing as many stories as possible.

In Davos, it was once again the topic of the day: how can Europe reduce its dependence on (primarily) American Big Tech? By now, everyone seems aware of the urgency. RaboResearch recently examined whether this awareness is translating into action or remains little more than good intentions. The outcome? Things are indeed happening. But while Dutch industrial companies are increasingly active in reducing their strategic dependencies, the government remains strikingly quiet. We covered this story earlier this week and created the infographic above based on the findings.

The alarm clock has gone off, but at the same time, we seem to be collectively hitting the snooze button. And that’s despite the fact that real alternatives do exist, as each new episode of our popular series The European Alternative shows. Last week, our colleague Merien explored 5 alternatives to WhatsApp (and no, Signal doesn’t count!).

W Social

Another interesting initiative was announced as well: W instead of X. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until the end of this year for the full rollout, but a first version is expected as early as February, so there is movement. We wrote about it yesterday: “W Social, trust your feed.”

What’s clear is that we’re only at the very beginning of our struggle for independence. Whether we can fully break free from American Big Tech, and whether we actually want to, remains an open question. But we’re on our way.

And you can expect IO+ to closely follow every step. Good to know that we’re not alone in this effort. Today, a large-scale data investigation by the NOS (Dutch Broadcast Foundation) confirms what we in our newsroom have been signaling for some time: our vital infrastructure is entirely on the life support of American tech giants. From hospital records to government email, Dutch digital sovereignty is nowhere to be found.

We’ll keep you posted!

A selection of other highlights from last week:

Want to read all our other articles as well? You can find them here.

A Daily Podcast

A new episode of our daily podcast is ready for you every weekday at 6:30 AM. In it, our AI colleagues Oliver and Shelby discuss the two most interesting stories of the day. That makes IO+ Daily the perfect way to start your morning with optimistic news from the world of innovation and technology. See you tomorrow.

Our Other Newsletters

Thank you for reading this newsletter. But there’s more. Subscribing is easy — via the options on the IO+ homepage or simply by clicking one of the newsletters below:

Enjoy your Sunday — and don’t forget: a new episode of IO+ Daily will be waiting for you tomorrow morning at 6:30. Be prepared before you hop on your bike! 🚲