Zoom Is the First Casualty in France's War on American Big Tech

Zoom Is the First Casualty in France's War on American Big Tech

Zoom Is the First Casualty in France’s War on American Big Tech
Homebrewed video conferencing may not be a moonshot, but you gotta start somewhere.
BY ECE YILDIRIMPUBLISHED JANUARY 27, 2026

READING TIME 2 MINUTES

French President Emmanuel Macron awaits Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (not seen) at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris, France on January 23, 2026. © Photo by Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images
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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.

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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.