The French government announced it will replace Microsoft Teams with Visio, a domestically-developed videoconferencing platform, in what officials described as a decisive break from "American digital dependence."
The move, confirmed by the French digital ministry this week, marks one of the most significant technology sovereignty initiatives undertaken by a major European power. Visio will be deployed across all government ministries and agencies, replacing the ubiquitous Microsoft product that has dominated French public administration since the COVID-19 pandemic forced remote work adoption.
"We can no longer accept that our most sensitive government communications transit through servers controlled by American companies," a senior French official told Le Figaro. "This is about sovereignty, security, and strategic autonomy."
The initiative aligns with Paris's broader push for souveraineté numérique - digital sovereignty - a concept that has gained urgency following revelations about U.S. surveillance programs and concerns about the extraterritorial reach of American data laws like the CLOUD Act.
Visio was developed by a consortium of French technology companies working under government contract. Unlike Microsoft Teams, which stores data on American-controlled cloud infrastructure, Visio will operate entirely on servers physically located in France and subject exclusively to French jurisdiction.
The platform offers end-to-end encryption for all video calls and messaging, with cryptographic keys held solely by French authorities. It includes features comparable to Teams - screen sharing, document collaboration, chat functions - but with an architecture designed from the ground up to prevent foreign access.
Brussels has watched the French initiative with interest. Several EU member states, including and the , have expressed concerns about dependence on American technology giants for critical government infrastructure. The European Commission itself has quietly piloted alternatives to U.S.-based collaboration tools.
