- France “leads by example” by betting on digital sovereignty
- Linux operating systems will be favored over Windows
- There are already plans to move a health data platform
France is set to move all government desktops from Windows to Linux as part of a national strategy to cut costs and reduce dependence on American tech giants.
The initiative, led by the Interministerial Directorate for Digital Affairs (DINUM), will require all ministries to submit their own migration plans by autumn 2026, with IT bodies such as DINUM driving the migration ahead of other bodies.
“DINUM will coordinate an interdepartmental plan to reduce non-European dependencies,” DINUM said in a statement.
Article continues below.
Full steam ahead to eliminate American Big Tech
What we are seeing in France is part of a broader push for European sovereignty, with other member states seeking to reduce dependence on American tech giants and regain control over their own software.
“Digital sovereignty is not an option, it is a strategic necessity,” wrote Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs Anne Le Hénanff.
“France is leading by example by accelerating the shift towards sovereign, interoperable and sustainable solutions.”
The push covers more than just Windows: collaboration tools, cloud and infrastructure, artificial intelligence systems, databases and networks are all being examined under the sovereign push.
France’s government has already confirmed plans to move one health data platform to another “trusted solution”, and workers at the country’s National Health Insurance Fund (CNAM) are getting access to local software alternatives such as Tchap, Visio and FranceTransfert.
Regarding the replacement of Windows operating systems with Linux, the benefits are twofold. Not only will open source alternatives give France better control over security and updates, but the very nature of open source avoids vendor lock-in and high licensing costs.
“We must desensitize ourselves to American tools and regain control of our digital destiny,” concluded the Minister of Action and Public Accounts, David Amiel.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
