France is “reducing the state’s extra-European digital dependencies” with its latest move to switch from Windows to Linux’s operating system on ministries’ workstations.
Under new directives from Interministerial Directorate for Digital Affairs (DINUM), ministries have been told to begin phasing out US-based tools by autumn, pivoting instead toward European alternatives.
DINUM, tasked with shaping and enforcing the state’s digital strategy, is leading the effort.
With Microsoft software, French authorities lack oversight of code, pricing structures and data processing.
Last year, Microsoft acknowledged before the French Senate that it could not guarantee that data stored in France would never be shared with a US government.
This revelation from Microsoft was a red line for French officials.
“The state can no longer simply acknowledge its dependence; it must break free,” insisted David Amiel, Minister of Public Action and Accounts.
“We must become less reliant on American tools and regain control of our digital destiny,” he added.
“We can no longer accept that our data, our infrastructure and our strategic decisions depend on solutions whose rules, pricing, evolution and risks we do not control,” he added.
The move away from Microsoft follows the migration of 80,000 agents of the National Health Insurance Fund to tools from the inter-ministerial digital platform and the migration of the health data platform to a trusted solution by the end of 2026.
According to Anne Le Hénanff, Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology, France intends to lead a European Union tech shift.
“Digital sovereignty is not an option, it is a strategic necessity. Europe must equip itself with the means to achieve its ambitions and France is leading the way by accelerating the shift towards sovereign, interoperable and sustainable solutions,” she said.
The French Government is not the only one. Corporate France is also beginning to hedge against US dominance.
Aerospace giant Airbus has already launched a tender seeking alternatives to the Google – Alphabet, Apple, Facebook – Meta, Amazon and Microsoft (GAFAM) ecosystem, aiming to secure its data within more controlled environments.
The company does not want industrial secrets to be stored on US-controlled tech.
Hovering over all of this is the CLOUD Act, passed in 2018, which allows US authorities to compel US tech firms to hand over data, regardless of where it is stored.
France’s concerns over dependencies on the US come as the country is currently conducting a Commission of Inquiry into structural dependencies and systemic vulnerabilities in the digital sector and the risks they pose to national independence.
During a hearing on April 8, Nicolas Guillou, a French judge at the International Criminal Court (ICC) who was sanctioned by the US in August 2025, warned on the extent of Europe’s exposure to US tech dominance.
“If the President of the United States places you under sanctions, then you will no longer have any means of payment if you are French. Since French banks can no longer issue any means of payment that isn’t American,” he said.
“All your accounts with US suppliers or companies will be closed, and any attempt you make to secure contracts or do business with a US company will be blocked,” he insisted.
This means losing access related to digital services such as your Gmail, Netflix, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Expedia and Booking accounts.
