The French government has announced that it will completely abandon the American video conferencing services Microsoft Teams and Zoom in government agencies. By 2027, they will be completely replaced by domestic platform Visio, developed as part of a digital sovereignty strategy.
Minister for Public Service and Reform David Amiel said in an interview with La Tribune Dimanche that France had ‘become too dependent on Teams and Zoom’ and that it was time to ‘break free from this dependence.’ According to him, the use of foreign platforms creates strategic risks, increases licensing costs and slows down interaction between departments.
Visio is a wholly French development, created under the guidance of the Interministerial Digital Technology Directorate (DINUM). The platform is already being tested: it is used by around 40,000 civil servants, including those in the Ministry of Defence, the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the health insurance system and the Directorate-General of Public Finances.
According to the authorities, the key advantages of Visio are:
data is stored exclusively in France (on the certified SecNumCloud cloud Outscale from Dassault Systèmes);
protection from foreign surveillance and US jurisdiction;
built-in AI features: automatic transcription, speaker recognition, real-time subtitles (using technology from French companies Kyutai and Pyannote);
lower costs compared to licences for American services.
The transition has already begun: CNRS plans to completely abandon Zoom by the end of March 2026, while the Ministry of Defence and other departments will complete the migration in the first quarter. By 2027, Visio should become the mandatory video conferencing tool for all approximately 200,000 civil servants.
This move is part of a broader initiative called Suite Numérique, which aims to replace American services (including Gmail, Slack and others) with European and French equivalents. The authorities emphasise that the decision is driven by geopolitical risks, privacy concerns and the desire for true digital independence.
Experts note that France’s decision could set an example for other EU countries, which are increasingly discussing the issue of technological sovereignty amid growing tensions between Europe and the US in the digital sphere.