France phases out Teams and Zoom from government use in favor of homegrown software

In what was described as a push against foreign platforms, France’s public sector is bracing for a significant digital transition as the government begins phasing out US-made video conferencing tools, namely Teams and Zoom, in favor of a domestically developed system intended to keep official data within Europe.

The initiative was announced by France’s delegated minister for the civil service and state reform, and reflects a broader European push toward what officials in Brussels describe as “technological sovereignty.”

The replacement is a new platform, Visio, developed through a government-backed initiative focused on securing and protecting confidential state communications. After a pilot phase last year proved successful, the system is now being rolled out to roughly 200,000 civil servants across several government departments.

French officials estimate that eliminating foreign software licenses could save about €1 million ($1.19 million) annually for every 100,000 users. Those savings stem in part from reducing ongoing commercial licensing fees paid to companies such as Zoom and Microsoft.

The strategy goes beyond cutting costs and centers on maintaining control. France’s move comes amid growing political momentum across Europe to curb reliance on American digital infrastructure that supports much of the continent’s online activity. Last week, the European Parliament approved a resolution urging member states to reduce dependence on non-EU suppliers in areas ranging from semiconductors to artificial intelligence and cloud services.

More than 80% of Europe’s digital infrastructure and software is sourced from outside the European Union, with AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud together accounting for nearly 70% of the region’s cloud market.

Previous attempts have been made for digital sovereignty. The governments of Denmark, Austria, Italy, Germany, and France have all taken big steps to rely on open-source or homegrown solutions in the public sector. Microsoft’s famous Office Suite has been a favorite target of the campaign, often being replaced by the open-source LibreOffice.

Europe is not alone in its goals of localizing its digital shopping. Many havecountries been considered foreign-sourced digital infrastructure a vulnerability in the past. And while most countries lack the resources to be self-sufficient in this regard, some, like China, have been strong proponents of building local alternatives to almost all digital products, with most Western options blocked entirely.

For France, that warning has translated into concrete policy. As Visio becomes embedded across government agencies, the project will test whether Europe’s ambition for digital sovereignty can move beyond statements and resolutions to deliver practical, functioning technology that is developed, managed, and stored within its own borders.