Across Europe, a quiet but significant shift is underway. Governments and institutions, increasingly wary of reliance on U.S. Big Tech, are actively seeking alternatives – both domestic and open-source – to everyday digital tools. This isn’t simply about cost savings; it’s a burgeoning movement toward “digital sovereignty,” fueled by concerns over data privacy, geopolitical tensions, and a desire to foster European technological leadership.
The most visible example is France, which announced , that its 2.5 million civil servants will phase out the use of American video conferencing platforms – Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, and GoTo Meeting – by , replacing them with Visio, a French-developed solution. As French Civil Service Minister David Amiel stated, the goal is to “guarantee the security and confidentiality of public electronic communications by relying on a powerful and sovereign tool,” and to prevent sensitive data from being “exposed to non-European actors.”
This move isn’t isolated. Austria’s military has adopted LibreOffice, a free and open-source office suite, in place of Microsoft Office. The German state of Schleswig-Holstein has migrated 44,000 employee inboxes from Microsoft Exchange to an open-source email program, and is exploring replacing Windows and other Microsoft products with open-source alternatives like Nextcloud, and Linux. Even the French city of Lyon is deploying free office software to replace Microsoft’s offerings, mirroring similar initiatives in Denmark.
The impetus behind this trend is multifaceted. A key catalyst is a growing unease about the potential for U.S. Companies to be compelled to comply with requests from their government, even if those requests conflict with European laws or interests. This concern was sharply highlighted last year when Microsoft reportedly suspended the email account of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) prosecutor following a U.S. Sanction related to an investigation involving an ally of the United States. While Microsoft maintains it maintained communication with the ICC throughout the process and did not cease services, the incident sparked fears about a potential “kill switch” – the ability of Big Tech to unilaterally cut off access to critical services.
“It feels kind of like there’s a real zeitgeist shift,” says Nick Reiners, a senior geotechnology analyst at the Eurasia Group. “There’s a lot more political momentum behind this idea now that we need to de-risk from U.S. Tech.” This sentiment was also evident at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Henna Virkkunen, the European Commissioner for Tech-Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, argued that Europe’s reliance on external providers “can be weaponized against us.”
The issue extends beyond potential political pressure. Years of European efforts to regulate Big Tech through antitrust fines and digital rulebooks, such as the Digital Markets Act, have yielded limited results in curbing the dominance of U.S. Companies. This has led to a realization that simply regulating the existing landscape may not be enough; a more proactive approach – building independent capabilities – is needed.
the unpredictable nature of figures like Elon Musk adds another layer of concern. European officials have expressed anxieties about relying on his Starlink satellite internet system for critical communications, particularly in situations like the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The potential for a single individual to control access to essential infrastructure raises significant security and strategic questions.
The historical context of U.S. Surveillance practices, revealed by Edward Snowden, also continues to fuel distrust. Ongoing disputes over data transfer agreements between the U.S. And Europe underscore the fundamental differences in approaches to data privacy and security. With more and more online services now hosted in the cloud, Europeans are increasingly concerned about the vulnerability of their data.
In response, U.S. Cloud providers are attempting to address these concerns by establishing “sovereign cloud” operations within Europe. These initiatives involve building data centers within European countries, owned by European entities, and restricting access to EU residents. The intention is to ensure that decisions regarding data are made by Europeans, free from potential coercion by the U.S. Government.
However, the transition to digital sovereignty isn’t without its challenges. Developing competitive alternatives to established U.S. Platforms requires significant investment and technical expertise. Open-source solutions, while offering greater control and transparency, often require specialized skills to implement and maintain. Interoperability between different systems can also be a hurdle.
The Document Foundation, the non-profit organization behind LibreOffice, has seen a surge in interest from governments and institutions. Italo Vignoli, a spokesperson for the foundation, notes that the initial appeal of LibreOffice was cost savings, but now the primary driver is “avoiding being locked into a proprietary system.” He adds that the current rationale is “we will be free and by the way, we will also save some money.”
Microsoft, for its part, acknowledges the concerns and emphasizes its commitment to data security and privacy within Europe. The company states it is “focused on providing customers with greater choice, stronger data protection, and resilient cloud services — ensuring data stays in Europe, under European law, with robust security and privacy protections.” Microsoft President Brad Smith has repeatedly stressed the importance of strong transatlantic ties, highlighting the economic benefits of a healthy relationship between the U.S. And Europe.
The move towards digital sovereignty represents a fundamental shift in Europe’s approach to technology. It’s a recognition that technological independence is not merely a matter of economic competitiveness, but also of national security and political autonomy. While the path forward will be complex and require sustained effort, the momentum behind this movement suggests that Europe is determined to forge its own digital future.
