Big Tech is out of Ctrl.
Google reads your email. Facebook influences elections. Amazon and Apple have terrible labor practices. YouTube is addictive to kids. Instagram just... sucks now.
We put up with the bad behavior because these services have become an essential part of modern life. We distrust Big Tech but we need them. But what if we didn't?
The services that Big Tech provides aren't even that complicated. We can run our own, with our own rules, and cut them out of our lives.
You should be in Ctrl.
But you know who doesn't suck? You! Me! All of us. The people. So we should really be in charge of these things.
We're forming a cooperative to provide our members with basic software services without the surveillance and exploitation of late-stage capitalism. Members can vote which services we make available and everything is hosted in a safe, secure, private way.
Let's take back control of...
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ctrl?
Ctrl is being set up as a cooperative so the members who use the services also get to vote on business decisions. You don't have to worry that the people running the company sell you out to get rich because those people are you. Right now, the members are just the two guys in the San Francisco bay area trying to get it started. We're gauging interest before we open the doors to more people.
What services do you offer?
None yet. You have a chance to guide the product suite with your feedback in the form above. We'll start with the most popular suggestions and then work from there. We've self-hosted services like email, calendars, file storage, and social media before but haven't offered it as a coherent platform.
Why don't you operate from the Caymans/Switzerland/a buoy floating
in international waters?
We get it. There are valid reasons to be concerned about services with a goal of privacy and security within the United States. Ctrl was partially inspired by "digital sovereignty" efforts in Europe trying to ditch US corporations and thinking, "Why do Europeans get to have all the fun?" But more importantly, we live in the US and we want to find a solution that works for that reality. If we're going to succeed here, it's going to be by prioritizing progress over purity.
I hate blockchains/AI/Emacs. Do you promise never to use them?
Ah, great question! We're setting up Ctrl as a cooperative to make sure questions like this one are debated and voted on by our members. We'll always pursue the most ethical option in all our technology choices but we can't promise to never use AI because at some point in the future there may be a form of AI that isn't inherently an exploitative, hallucinating ecological nightmare (lol right) and the membership may vote to incorporate it into Ctrl.
I made a lot of money working for Big Tech. How do I make a
donation to feel good about myself?
Thank you! Honestly, this question isn't frequently asked enough. We're working on the ability to accept tax-deductible donations and will let you know the second we can. Watch this space.
Connect with Us
Wow, you scrolled all the way down here? Are you looking for links to our Twitter profile or something? Did you not read the part about... You know what, it's fine. We'll set up a Mastodon account and stuff. Give us a minute.