France takes the next step in digital sovereignty. Civil servants will no longer be able to use the American Microsoft Teams and Zoom platforms
France has announced plans to replace US-based video conferencing platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom throughout public administration by 2027. The services will be replaced by the domestically developed “Visio” platform.
The decision is part of France's broader efforts to strengthen digital sovereignty and reduce reliance on foreign technology providers for official communications.
The plan was confirmed by French Public Service Minister David Amiel in an interview with La Tribune Dimanche.
He said the French government had become “excessively dependent” on video conferencing tools from abroad, stressing the importance of ensuring the security and sovereignty of official discussions, data and internal communications.
“The aim is to abandon the use of non-European solutions and to guarantee the security and privacy of public electronic communications, relying on a powerful and sovereign instrument,” he said.
Amiel explained that eliminating dependence on foreign platforms at the national level is essential to ensure the security of internal negotiations and communications in all situations.
The government plans to roll out Visio throughout the public administration over the next two years. Developed by the Interministerial Digital Agency (DINUM), the Visio platform is promoted as a “100% French-made” videoconferencing solution. Amiel said the platform would strengthen data protection while bringing substantial savings, as France spends millions of euros annually renewing contracts with foreign software providers.
The move comes amid Europe's concerns about over-reliance on US IT infrastructure amid risks of disruption to cloud services. “This strategy highlights France's commitment to digital sovereignty amid rising geopolitical tensions and fears of foreign surveillance or service disruptions”Amiel pointed out.
The Visio platform is in the testing phase and has approximately 40,000 users.
Visio is part of the Suite Numérique program, a digital ecosystem of sovereign tools designed to replace American online services like Gmail and Slack.
Viso hosted by the sovereign cloud infrastructure of the French company Outscale, a subsidiary of the French software company Dassault Systèmes.
