The apps used by Danes to boycott American products

Danish shoppers are using apps such as ‘Made O’Meter’ and ‘UdenUSA’ to boycott products made in the United States.

The apps – both made in Denmark – are becoming increasingly popular as the country finds itself on the end of insults and criticism from US President Donald Trump, who says he wants the US to take control of Greenland.

The UdenUSA app allows users to see where a product is from and find alternatives from other countries to put in their shopping baskets.

The app is currently the fourth-most downloaded in Denmark on Apple’s App Store, according to broadcaster DR, which spoke to 21-year-old Jonas Pipper, one of the app’s co-developers.

“It started nine months ago when we discovered the Facebook group ‘Boykot USA’, which had exploded. It had almost 100,000 members,” Pipper told DR.

“So we thought it was strange that there was no tool to scan a product and find out where it comes from,” he said.

The app developer said he was “not necessarily saying you have to boycott” US-made products.

“We’re just providing a way to get some clarity. Then it’s up to consumers what to do,” he said.

READ ALSO: Can a Danish boycott on US products have any effect?

A Danish boycott movement is not going to bankrupt major American companies but taking part can still feel meaningful for individuals, according to Pelle Guldborg Hansen, a behavioural researcher at Roskilde University.

The act of opting out of US products “gives the feeling of actually doing something,” Hansen told DR. 

“Many people see news stories about something they don’t like and get angry. In this case, it concerns ourselves and Greenland. You feel you need to do something about that anger, no matter how small it is,” he said.

When consumers start changing their behaviour, it means their spending is directed elsewhere, he also noted.

“So even if Coca-Cola in the US doesn’t notice that less cola is being sold in Denmark, companies like Harboe [Danish soft drink and beer maker, ed.] can. And that means you are helping to support alternatives,” the behavioural researcher explained.