There is an ocean between the United States and Europe, but the latter would really like to put even more distance between the two. In the latest instance of a European nation trying to rid itself of its reliance on America (probably a smart bet at this point), France announced that it will move some of its government systems off of Windows and onto Linux.
Details on the change are a bit sparse, but TechCrunch reports that it will start with machines used in France’s Interministerial Directorate for Digital Affairs (DINUM). There is no timeline in place for weaning off Windows, but it’s clear the government would like to feel less beholden to American firms that are increasingly stretching their monopolistic tendencies across borders.
In a translated statement, French minister David Amiel called the move to Linux part of an attempt by the nation to “regain control of our digital destiny.” He explained that France can “no longer accept that our data, our infrastructure, and our strategic decisions depend on solutions whose rules, pricing, evolution, and risks we do not control,” and said, “Digital sovereignty is not optional.”
France has been actively trying to snap the chain tying it to Big Tech for a bit now. Earlier this year, the nation announced that it would ban public officials from using American videoconferencing platforms, including Google Meet, Zoom, and Teams. During an appearance at the Munich Security Conference earlier this year, French President Emmanuel Macron said, “We have to accelerate and clearly deliver all the components of a geopolitical power, in defence, in technology, and in the derisking vis-à-vis all the big powers in order to be much more independent”—a not so subtle message to the rest of the European Union to move away from America.
Decoupling from the US tech industry is no small task. While the European Commission is reportedly working on legislation aimed at promoting tech sovereignty, military experts have warned that ditching the American tech stack comes with security risks (and *surely* those warnings aren’t self-serving in any way). While it’ll be a significant undertaking, polling seems to suggest that European leaders have the support of the people to ditch American tech.
There are certainly some little conveniences that’ll go away by moving off Windows. As XDA Developers points out, moving to Linux will mean workers across the French government will have to shift to open-source software to take the place of the familiar (if annoying) Microsoft ecosystem. That probably means ditching Office 365 for LibreOffice or another alternative.
Regardless, if France can pull off the switch, it’ll probably be a more effective protest than when certain parts of America collectively decided to start referring to french fries as “freedom fries” to somehow punish the country for refusing to join in America’s invasion of Iraq. It’s a miracle the world has put up with our shit for as long as it has.
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