France switches to Microsoft Windows. country he said it plans to move government computers that currently run Windows to the open-source Linux operating system to further reduce its reliance on US technology.
Linux is an open source operating system that is free to download and use, with various customized distributions tailored and designed for specific use cases or operations.
French Minister David Amiel said in a statement (translated) that the effort was to “regain control of our digital destiny” by relying less on US tech companies. Amiel said the French government can no longer accept that it no longer controls its data and digital infrastructure.
France has not given a specific timeline for the transition or which distributions it is considering. Microsoft did not immediately comment on the news.
It is France’s latest effort to reduce its dependence on US tech giants and tap technology and cloud services emerging within its borders, known as digital sovereignty, following increased instability and unpredictability by the Trump administration.
Lawmakers and government leaders across Europe are increasingly aware of the threat they face at home and their overreliance on US technology. In January, the European Parliament voted to adopt a report directing the European Commission to identify areas where the EU can reduce its dependence on foreign providers.
After taking office in January 2025, Trump increased his attacks on world leaders to catch one and helps the killing of another. He has also weaponized sanctions against his critics, including judges at the International Criminal Court, preventing them from doing business with US companies. Sanctioned they reported closing bank accounts and blocking access to US technology services, as well as blocking any other US service.
France’s decision to abandon Windows came months after the government’s announcement Microsoft Teams will be discontinued A tool based on Jitsi, an open-source end-to-end encrypted video meeting tool, for video conferencing in favor of French-made Visio.
The French government also said it plans to migrate its health data platform to a new secure platform by the end of the year.
