Yes but you can't fix a wheel by cutting the axle. Not every US company is engaged in spying, and the US has ways of spying that go beyond web services. Also, the precedent this would set in terms of politicizing global access to the internet, to me, would be no less egregious than what the US is doing. How long, after that, does every disagreement between nations result in wars of packet-dropping or malicious routing?
That said, something a bit less drastic might well do some good for the world. Instead of blocking everything, block google and facebook for a day, just to show they can and they're serious. Or even just threaten to. Anything that causes the powerful companies that American politicians actually listen to to maybe lose money might lead to some real action.
I think you're overestimating the US's role on the internet.
Look at china they seem to be doing ok although their reasons are completely the wrong ones for doing it.
Yes a blockade for a couple of days would be a good idea however I'm afraid Europeans are being underestimated by the US so if we don't have the determination to stick to it it's not worth doing.
But why assume that these European replacements for American web services wouldn't either be complicit in spying for their home countries, or the US? Why is a Great Firewall of Europe better for Europeans' own freedom?
Because of accountability. And I am much more confident about the EU than the US regarding the possibility of stopping the surveillance dystopia.
Yes, bad things happen over here too, but the indifference of the public has received a huge dent, with the lid now blown off the BND and GCHQ stuff. Also remember, that privacy is a huge issue for the general populace in some countries (Germany, Poland, Bulgaria).
That said, something a bit less drastic might well do some good for the world. Instead of blocking everything, block google and facebook for a day, just to show they can and they're serious. Or even just threaten to. Anything that causes the powerful companies that American politicians actually listen to to maybe lose money might lead to some real action.