The EU Is Going Through a Trump-Fueled Breakup with Big Tech

5 hours ago

Europe, led by France, is accelerating efforts to reduce dependence on U.S. technology due to tensions with the Trump administration, data security concerns, and price volatility.
France is developing and deploying homegrown and open-source alternatives like the Visio video platform, LaSuite productivity tools, and migrating from Microsoft services, with plans to shift all government agencies away from U.S. tech by fall 2025.
The French digital sovereignty push includes storing data locally, using ANSSI-approved providers, and collaborating with other European countries and private firms, while cities like Lyon are adopting open-source software such as OnlyOffice and Linux.
Key catalysts for the movement include the 2025 ICC email incident involving Microsoft, Snowden revelations, the U.S. Cloud Act, and fears over extraterritorial data access, driving increased interest in European open-source solutions like Nextcloud.
Despite momentum, European reliance on U.S. tech remains high: about 70% of the EU cloud market uses U.S. services, and 80% of software spending goes to U.S. firms, with open-source and digital public infrastructure seen as partial alternatives, though complete independence is currently unfeasible.

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