France has ordered millions of workers to switch from foreign-owned tech platforms like Zoom and Teams to Visio - a domestically developed videoconference platform. The French prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, explains how this move is important to guaranteeing the security and confidentiality of public communications.

Similarly, the French government has blocked the satellite operator - Eutelsat - from selling its antenna business to the private equity firm EQT. The government cites the business’s strategic importance as a rival to Elon Musk’s Starlink - a satellite operated telecommunications provider.

The Implications

The EU currently relies on non-EU countries - like the US - for over 80% of its digital services. Trump’s policy decisions, especially those hostile to the EU, have incited European fears over a dependence on the US during times of geopolitical tension.

As such, European governments are seeking to reduce dependency on US tech platforms, a movement which France is leading the charge on. Even President Macron has been promoting local cloud providers and AI companies as a shield against US and Chinese dominance in these spaces.

What does this mean for technology?

• Increased regulatory barriers for US tech companies in Europe

• Growing government investment in European tech alternatives

• Potentially hostile policy decisions like tariffs on technology as a response from non-EU countries