France is ditching Windows in favor of Linux to reduce dependence on American technology

France is moving from Microsoft Windows. The country said it plans to move government computers currently running Windows to the open source Linux operating system to reduce its dependence on American technology.

Linux is an open source operating system that is free to download and use, with many custom distributions designed and customized for specific use cases or processes.

In a statement, French Minister David Amiel (translator) said the efforts aim to “regain control of our digital destiny” by relying less on American technology companies. Amiel said the French government could no longer accept that it had no control over its data and digital infrastructure.

France did not provide a specific timetable for the transition, or the distributions it was considering. Microsoft did not immediately comment on the news.

It is the latest effort by France to reduce its dependence on American tech giants and use technology and cloud services that have arisen within its borders, known as digital sovereignty, in the wake of increasing instability and unpredictability on the part of the Trump administration.

Lawmakers and government leaders across Europe are becoming more aware of the looming threat facing them at home, and of their over-reliance on American technology. In January, the European Parliament voted to adopt a report directing the European Commission to identify areas where the EU could reduce its dependence on foreign service providers.

Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has escalated his attacks on world leaders, arresting one and helping to kill another. He has also used sanctions against his critics, including judges at the International Criminal Court, as a weapon, effectively banning them from doing business with American companies. Those sanctioned reported having their bank accounts closed and access to US technology services terminated, as well as being banned from any other US service.

France’s decision to ditch Windows comes months after the government announced it would stop using Microsoft Teams for video conferencing in favor of French-made Visio, a tool based on the open-source encrypted video conferencing tool Jitsi.

The French government said it also plans to migrate its health data platform to a new, trusted platform by the end of the year.