The French government will stop using US-made videoconferencing software in favor of homegrown technology, part of a wider European move toward self-reliance.
From 2027, the domestic Visio platform will replace Zoom and Microsoft Teams, among others. The EU is increasingly keen on digital sovereignty: It is backing a network of European data service providers to reduce dependence on US cloud computing, a card payment system to rival Visa and Mastercard, and semiconductor manufacturers to avoid relying on Intel and TSMC.
The bloc has accelerated efforts amid tensions with Washington, but the push is not new: The “Galileo” satellite navigation system was set in place in 2016 as a response to concerns that Europe was dependent on the US military’s GPS tech.