Across Europe, a quiet revolution is underway as governments and public institutions increasingly pivot away from US Big Tech services, embracing domestic or open-source digital alternatives. This strategic shift, driven by a burgeoning desire for "digital sovereignty", sees French civil servants preparing to abandon Zoom and Teams, Austrian soldiers adopting open-source office software, and German bureaucrats turning to free programs for their administrative tasks.
The movement is gaining significant traction amid heightened concerns over data privacy, fears of technological dependence, and a perceived belligerent posture from the Trump administration towards the continent. These anxieties have intensified fears that Silicon Valley giants could be compelled to cut off access to critical services, highlighting Europe's vulnerability.
