France ditches Microsoft Teams and Zoom for Visio, a local alternative
It’s “bienvenue” for Visio and “au revoir” for Teams and Zoom, as France swaps US platforms for a homegrown videoconferencing service.
The French government said Visio would replace American platforms in all of its departments by 2027. It cited security concerns behind the decision, which is part of the country’s strategy to stop using foreign software vendors.
Visio has been in testing for a year and currently has around 40,000 users.
In an official statement, the government said France is using too many video conferencing tools, including Teams and Zoom, but also GoTo Meeting and Webex, two other US-based platforms.
The government said it “weakens data security, creates strategic dependencies on external infrastructures, generates additional financial costs, and complicates cooperation between ministries.”
As part of its broader strategy, the government also wants to move away from other American platforms, such as Slack and Gmail.
Reclaiming “digital independence”
Having a unified system in Visio, which is controlled by the state and based on French technologies, will strengthen the country’s digital resilience, according to the government.
“The aim is to end the use of non-European solutions and guarantee the security and confidentiality of public electronic communications by relying on a powerful and sovereign tool,” said David Amiel, the minister for the civil service and state reform.
The project is a concrete step to “reclaim France’s digital independence,” Amiel said.
“We cannot risk seeing our scientific exchanges, sensitive data, and strategic innovations exposed to non-European actors. Digital sovereignty is both a necessity for our public services, an opportunity for our companies, and insurance against future threats,” he said.
The move reflects a broader mood in Europe, which is accelerating its decoupling from American technologies following repeated verbal attacks from US President Donald Trump and his administration, including threats to seize Greenland, an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Cybernews previously reported that the EU was preparing for “a tectonic shift” away from American-dominated proprietary technologies toward open source, and a number of local governments across Europe have already stopped using US-based platforms.
Grassroots initiatives include calls to boycott US products, including technology, and lists shared online offering alternatives to popular American tools.
Unlock more exclusive Cybernews content on YouTube.
