Getting Rid of Google and Facebook

We all know about the problems with Facebook and Google.  Whether it’s compromising our privacy, tracking our histories, or ideologically filtering what we see, these companies seem to need a heavy dose of good old fashioned competition.

Does anyone have any suggestions for replacements? For ways to remove these companies from our lives?

I’m familiar with DuckDuckGo as a Google replacement, and ProtonMail as a replacement for gmail. Considering giving both a try.

Being an admitted old fart, however, I’d love to hear what others have to say as my brain began shrinking back in the days when you could buy a high-end scotch for $50.00… yes, that long ago.

Thanks.

@barney:

@SrarBoy:

And what replaces Facebook? I think they are all necessary evils; you can’t do without them.

Heh heh I can   8-)
don’t no why people need to tell everyone what they’re doing. Must be all about them :-)

I hear you, there, Barney.

I can actually do without Facebook just fine, though there have been one or two instances when I was glad I had it.

Google, on the other hand, is a bit more of a necessity.  I would love to give my clicks to someone else.  But to whom?

@captain:

there is another site that is now competing with facebook…it’s called MeWe. I haven’t checked it out but I’ve heard that it doesn’t have some of the restrictions of fb…or the spyware.

Interesting, CW.  Thanks.

@Colt45:

The search engine I use is ixquick.com, now named Start Page. It dubs itself the world�s most private search engine, for what it’s worth, although I think at least it’s images are powered by Google which makes me lose some faith in it.

I don’t use Facebook. I prefer Gab.ai which lacks in workability but makes up for by almost never censoring legal content.

Thanks, Colt.  I will definitely give ixquick.com a look.

Just for the record, Srarboy, when I said “replace” I didn’t mean in an existential sense. I just meant are there replacements that a lone, citizen like myself can turn to? Competition, in other words. I realize no one is going to put Facebook or Google out of business, and I don’t really want to (well, maybe just a little  :-D). Sorry if my initial post caused confusion.