Edit 1 :
If you’re fed up with companies fucking you over there’s an alternative.
There software called Nextcloud which you can run on a server which works in comparable ways as Onedrive/Google Drive/Dropbox/etc. works.
You could host it yourself on a server if you know how.
If you’re not familiar with forwarding ports or setting static IP adresses you can rent some server space from Hetzner where Nextcloud is included.
Edit 2 :
I’m totally in favor with your post, but not everyone is willing to self-host or is capable of doing it. So I recommendation would be and one that I’m currently using, is when uploading a file to these cloud services encrypt your files. I’m using #cryptomator, but I’m sure there are other alternatives, like #rclone. There is also #veracrypt, but to my understanding, is not great for cloud sync.
Cryptomator official website Quick youtube video in how to use cryptomator (3:51)
Cryptomator is open source and free, but only on desktop. To use the mobile version, you will have to pay. Here is a list of alternatives to cryptomator, if you are familiar with one, please share your knowledge.
Edit 3 :
Don’t forget Syncthing, I always suggest it first since it doesn’t require a server or advanced knowledge to work.
You can selfhost Syncthing without having a server, using your daily devices.
Which is great, but still does nothing for off-site storage.
You always have at least one off site backup of anything important. For most people, that’s going to be some kind of cloud service. What you use to access that can vary a good bit (as someone reminded me, nextcloud services you can use rather than have it all be on site exist), but syncthing would require that you have someone else willing to have a device at their house, always connected, for it to be a viable pick this that aspect.
Don’t get me wrong, syncthing is awesome, but it isn’t a total solution by itself. Hell, my redundant off site backup is less hassle, tbh. I just swap out external drives when I visit my best friend. I take the most updated one, leave it and bring home the previous one from his place. It’s always a little behind, but it isn’t reliant on connectivity lol.
That’s what I was getting at. If all of your backups are at the same place, physically, you don’t actually have backups, you just have redundant copies. A backup that can be destroyed at the same time as other backups or the original isn’t really a backup at all. It’s good enough for a drive dying, but not for bigger events.
That’s what I was getting at, I just forgot that nexcloud services exist.
Your smartphone is already an always connected device, and you can manually do periodical backups on external drives which is a good practice in any case.
You can also set which device rules the file modification (sent or receive only as a folder).
I think it’s ok for most of the people. If you have a tons of precious files to save I can agree with you, but I think this type of “off-grid self-hosting” is just the future of personal data management.