Our Tech Stack

The concept of "ethical tech" is a tricky one; I don't quite know if there really is ethical tech as such, but clearly there will be different grades of how ethical tech is considered when a person applies their own standards of morality.

From running this movement I have had a few thoughts crystallised, one of those being, that you can't force your values upon another person (regardless of how much you might like to!) 

Just because you think a piece of tech isn't ethical (glasses that film people without their knowledge for example), it doesn't mean that your neighbour will agree. Or choosing not to support a search engine like Google because it supported Israel's genocide of Palestine - this might be another ethical choice.

We wanted to add this as a precursor to our own movement's tech stack, because ultimately, you might push back against some of the tech we are using here. 

Personally, I chose not to criticise someone based on their usage of tech, because firstly it might imply some form of moral superiority, but secondly, I have better things to do with my time! :)   

This is the current tech stack we are using at No To Big Tech (as of 30/06/2026).

Note - and this is important - this is subject to change. Tech is not static, it changes constantly, and it is also a highly political subject. This means, we should always be reviewing our tech stack accordingly.  

We don't like to recommend tech because people take this at face value and we feel it's more important that you apply your own values and morals to your decision of tech - which of course should also vary based upon where you are based, and your own specific tech requirements. In summary; use this as a pointer, but try to think for yourself, before jumping in and committing to any tech.

Domain name = Infomaniak

Hosting = Deuxfleurs (via Osuny)

CMS = Osuny  

We use Infomaniak currently to manage the notobigtech.org domain name.

Initially I had registered this through Cloudflare's domain registration platform, due to pricing. I later regretted this, when realising that Cloudflare is a part of the Big Tech infrastructure.

Much of the web passes through Cloudflare's various layers, and so it can be very hard to avoid using the web without encountering their tech. 

Infomaniak, on the other hand, are more aligned with our movement - they promote sovereign tech, and consider themselves as being independent alternatives to Big Tech, with an emphasis on ecology, privacy and people.

I don't think they are perfect - I think they are probably quite growth focused - but for now, for domain registration, they seem a good option.  

Mailing list = Keila

I opted for Keila here mainly because I had had good exposure to this open source mailing list provider thanks to time spent volunteering with a Degrowth group called the IDN. 

Keila offered a very affordable package for our group, with a discounted rate for non-profits like ours (I pay around €5 per month). 

Because I don't want to have a huge mailing list, and don't plan on sending out lots of emails, we never needed anything fancy.

I intentionally opt out of any kind of email tracking; it is enough to know how many people are subscribed, and to know that my emails are sent correctly.

Keila's support has been brilliant, when needed, and Phillip (I think the owner) has been very helpful whenever I needed some help.  

Internal comms = Matrix/Element

Element is the communication platform I use when engaging with our group, built upon the Matrix open standard.

This is a secure communication platform that is open source and offers digital sovereignty too. 

Internally we have created Rooms within Element whereby we can discuss certain topics - from internal organising to external outreach, etc.  

Work functionality tools = CryptPad with CryptDrive

Using CryptPad with CryptDrive (both on the free plan currently - but we hope to support if we receive funding at a later date) - this gives us all the functionality we might need in terms of word documents, spreadsheets, project trackers and so forth, as well as having storage space provided with CryptDrive.

This allows our small team to internally access, edit and share docs collaboratively. 

We appreciate there are many options out there but this is what we have decided to opt for at this stage.  

We haven't yet officially made use of any social media yet - but when we do, the first we will adopt is Mastodon.

Currently the founder Matt Tutt is using Mastodon (external link), using the Mastodon.social instance, to share news on the movement until we setup and create our own profile on the network. 

Internally we have discussed utilising Big Tech social media (specifically Instagram, owned by Meta) to raise awareness of our movement, and to highlight the problems with Big Tech.

Obviously this is a difficult decision and will not be taken lightly, because ideally, we would avoid all forms of Big Tech with our movement - but we acknowledge that if we wish to reach a wide group of people - we may need to go against our principles. 

Webinar/Video Hosting = TubeFree

TubeFree is a Peertube instance, backed by BT Free, a nonprofit dedicated to digital privacy rights, advocacy and consulting.

For our movement it was important that if we host video content on our website - for example any of the webinars we have hosted, or other events we have had filmed - we didn't want to default to YouTube due to being Big Tech. 

TubeFree allows us to upload videos to their platform/storage space, and then to embed them on our website and to use accordingly on social media etc.  

Fundraising Platform = Chuffed

I chose Chuffed as a platform here as it seemed best aligned to our ethos and values - they support many social justice movements around the world.  

We will always listen to feedback or any critique of our own tech stack - we think that through constructive, open and respectful dialogue, sometimes both parties can learn something new.

So - we welcome any feedback on any elements of our tech stack. You can find out how to contact us here (external link).

Sometimes the most useful insight here comes from understanding what is not in our tech stack (and why!) - we are slowly trying to document our issues with certain types of apparently ethical tech... this might come in a blog post at a later date.

Gentle reminder that this entire movement is based on the voluntary contributions of our members - so we may make mistakes, as we have limited resources and knowledge. We're a work-in-progress!