For months now, Europe has threatened action against American big tech companies in response to Trump’s trade war with the bloc. With recent escalations over the controversial American bid for Greenland, some European countries might follow suit.
The French government announced that it will stop using American video conferencing platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, and replace them with Visio, a French platform.
“The aim is to end the use of non-European solutions and guarantee the security and confidentiality of public electronic communications by relying on a powerful and sovereign tool,” France’s delegated minister for the civil service and state reform, David Amiel, said. “This strategy highlights France’s commitment to digital sovereignty amid rising geopolitical tensions and fears of foreign surveillance or service disruptions.”
Visio, which the French government will start using in 2027, is a part of the Suite Numérique, a set of open-source applications designed for public servants and developed by the French government in collaboration with the Netherlands and Germany. It defines itself as “the sovereign workspace” and offers tools similar to those in Microsoft Teams and Google Drive.
Once great allies, the European Union and the United States have found themselves at odds this past year over Trump’s threats and demands (like wanting to take over Greenland, for starters).
One of the central points of contention between the two superpowers has been the regulation of technology. The European Union aims to regulate digital platforms and tech companies on its own terms, having done so for years through landmark legislation such as the Digital Services Act. But the Trump administration, rallied by Silicon Valley, views these attempts as “overseas extortion” and has sought to pressure the EU to drop some restrictions via tariffs.
The result has been an increased European focus on digital sovereignty, an idea that is not new but has received renewed importance as technology solidifies its increasingly central place in society and politics. The United States dominates the tech industry and the bloc, like most countries in the world, is reliant on this American prowess.
In her State of the Union address last year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underscored Europe’s commitment to tech sovereignty.
“And I want to be crystal clear on one point: Whether on environmental or digital regulation. We set our own standards. We set our own regulations. Europe will always decide for itself,” von der Leyen said in reference to the United States.
European countries, and especially France, have not shied away from threatening to unleash Europe’s tariff bazooka, the anti-coercion instrument.
As early as last summer, French President Emmanuel Macron urged the European Commission to keep the anti-coercion instrument in consideration. While traditional retaliatory tariffs target physical goods, the anti-coercion instrument would allow the EU to impose restrictions on services, including digital services provided by American tech giants like Apple, Google, and Meta.
While it seems Europe is still not truly ready to issue a bazooka, it’s reportedly preparing to take some bloc-level action as well. According to a Wall Street Journal report from last week, the union’s executive arm is working on tech sovereignty legislation.
