Dependency map: understanding digital lock‑in in a personal tech stack

This page documents the structural dependencies in my personal tech stack. Not just the tools I use, but the underlying layers they quietly rely on to function.

The goal is to make digital lock‑in visible. I use this map to understand and reduce how structural dependencies in my tech stack translate into vulnerability to external jurisdiction and policy overreach.

Lock‑in rarely lives in a single app. It emerges from connected dependencies: identity, storage, devices, formats and ecosystems reinforcing each other.

• Some changes are trivial, such as swapping a browser or note‑taking app.
• Others are painful or effectively blocked because lower layers sit underneath them.

Understanding those layers is a prerequisite for any realistic migration towards digital sovereignty.

Reading the dependency map

Think in layers from bottom to top:

1. Devices & operating systems - what you physically own
2. Identity & trust - accounts, authentication, recovery paths
3. Storage & sync - where data lives and how it is backed up
4. Apps & workflows - email, notes, browser, chat, ebooks
5. Sharing & distribution - who else you must interoperate with

If a higher layer depends on a lower one, replacing it without friction is usually impossible.

My dependency map

Devices & OS

• MacBook → macOS
• iPhone → iOS
• (Both) → Apple security model, firmware chain, App Store rules

Identity & trust

• Google Account → Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs/Sheets, Chrome sync, Maps, Search
• Apple ID → iCloud, Photos library sync, device backups, Find My/AirTag
• Microsoft identity → Teams, Authenticator
• 1Password account → password vault availability + recovery

Storage & sync

• iCloud → Notes (if in Apple ecosystem), Photos (20k library), device backups
• Google Drive → documents and collaboration history
• Amazon → Kindle library + DRM, Glacier backup
• Messaging apps → often become “shadow storage” for media and files

Apps & workflows

• Email: Gmail → ties into Google identity + spam filtering + archive history
• Calendar: Google Calendar → ties into scheduling + invites ecosystem
• Browser: Chrome/Vivaldi → sync + extension ecosystem + identity
• Notes: Bear → depends on Apple platforms (and often iCloud habits)
• Chat: WhatsApp → network effect dependency (others decide)
• Books: Kindle Paperwhite → Amazon DRM + account + device ecosystem

What this implies (practical constraints)

• Replacing apps is rarely the hard part.
• The hard parts are: identity, storage, and formats/DRM.
• Any migration plan should start with the lowest layer you’re willing to change.

Migration order that usually hurts least

1. Replace single-purpose apps with open formats (notes, browser, mail client)
2. Move storage to a neutral home (files/photos)
3. Reduce identity coupling (separate logins, recovery methods)
4. Only then swap devices or OS, if that’s still the goal

Dependency resolution checklist

I use this checklist to track which dependencies I have already resolved or reduced, and which ones still actively constrain my choices.

Identity & accounts

• I no longer depend on a single Google account as my master identity
• I have reduced my reliance on an Apple ID
• I have removed my dependency on a Microsoft account
• I have removed my dependency on an Amazon account
• I have moved passwords away from a US-hosted vault

Devices & operating systems

• I can work without relying on macOS
• I can function day-to-day without iOS
• I can access my books without a Kindle device

Storage & backups

• My device backups no longer depend on iCloud
• My photo library is stored outside the Apple ecosystem
• My file storage no longer depends on Google Drive
• My backups no longer depend on Amazon Glacier

Communication

• My email no longer depends on Gmail
• My calendar no longer depends on Google Calendar
• My primary messaging no longer depends on WhatsApp
• My work communication no longer depends on Microsoft Teams

Browsing & search

• My daily browser use no longer depends on Chrome
• My default search no longer depends on Google
• My navigation no longer depends on Google Maps or CarPlay

Documents & productivity

• My documents are no longer tied to Google Docs
• My spreadsheets are no longer tied to Google Sheets
• My diagrams are no longer tied to Google Draw
• My automations are no longer tied to Google Scripts

Notes & personal knowledge

• My notes are no longer locked into an Apple-only app

Media & content

• My ebook library is accessible without Kindle DRM
• My podcasts are accessible outside the Apple ecosystem

Security & authentication

• My two-factor authentication no longer depends on US-based providers
• My account recovery does not rely on a single foreign jurisdiction

AI

• My thinking and writing workflows do not depend on a single AI provider

How to read this list:
A checked box means I have actually made the dependency irrelevant in practice, not merely replaced it on paper.