France to Phase Out Foreign Video Conferencing Apps for Government Use

Introduction to Digital Sovereignty Initiative

The French government officially announced on January 27, 2026, its intention to phase out the use of foreign video conferencing applications, including popular services such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, across all government agencies. This strategic shift is part of a broader initiative to bolster national security and reduce reliance on non-European technological solutions. The decision underscores France's commitment to digital sovereignty, aiming to safeguard sensitive government communications and data.

Transition to Homegrown 'Visio' Platform

In place of the outgoing foreign applications, French government entities will transition to a domestically developed proprietary tool named Visio. This platform, developed under the supervision of the Interministerial Directorate for Digital Affairs (DINUM), is designed to support secure online meetings for civil servants. The rollout of Visio is expected to continue through 2027, with the goal of full deployment across all state administrations. Visio has already undergone testing and is currently being rolled out to approximately 200,000 government employees.

Security, Sovereignty, and Economic Rationale

The primary drivers behind this policy change are enhanced security and the pursuit of digital independence. French officials have expressed concerns regarding the exposure of sensitive data and strategic innovations to non-European actors, particularly in light of foreign legislation such as the U.S. CLOUD Act, which can grant American authorities access to data held by U.S. companies, even if stored abroad. David Amiel, Minister Delegate for the Civil Service and State Reform, stated, 'We cannot take the risk of exposing our scientific exchanges, sensitive data, and strategic innovations to non-European players. Digital sovereignty is both a necessity for our public services, an opportunity for our businesses, and insurance against future threats.' Beyond security, the government anticipates significant economic benefits, estimating potential savings of around €1 million per year for every 100,000 users who switch from paid external licenses.

Technical Specifications and Future Enhancements

The Visio platform operates on cloud infrastructure certified under France's stringent SecNumCloud framework, ensuring high levels of security for sensitive public sector data. The platform currently includes advanced features such as AI-based meeting transcription utilizing speaker separation technology from the French startup Pyannote. Plans are also in place to introduce real-time subtitling by summer 2026, leveraging technology from the French AI research lab Kyutai. Furthermore, reports indicate that Visio is an open-source solution based on LiveKit, potentially allowing other governments to adapt and reuse the technology.