France moves to phase out Zoom and Teams for officials as Visio push accelerates

France is preparing to restrict public officials from using several US-based videoconferencing platforms, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet, as the government steps up efforts to host sensitive work on domestically controlled services.

The measure is expected to be set out in an official notice from the prime minister’s office, following a broader push in Europe to reduce reliance on foreign digital tools for government communications.

Visio becomes the default option

Officials are being directed toward Visio, a videoconferencing service developed under France’s Interministerial Digital Authority, known as Dinum.

The platform runs on infrastructure provided by the French cloud firm Outscale, aligning with the state’s sovereignty and data-control goals.

French authorities have framed the shift as a practical security and governance decision, reflecting concerns that the legal reach of non-European jurisdictions can complicate the protection of government data.

How fast can the switch happen?

Dinum has said Visio is already used by about 40 000 staff across most ministries and some affiliated bodies. The target is to expand that figure to 250 000 users, signaling a wide rollout across the civil service.

To enforce the transition, the government plans to monitor compliance and has indicated it may eventually restrict traffic to rival tools on state networks, tightening the technical and policy controls around official video calls.

The approach mirrors earlier French moves to steer internal communications to state-backed alternatives, including guidance to avoid mainstream messaging apps in favor of Tchap, a service built for civil servants.

The latest step underscores how procurement, security policy and digital sovereignty are increasingly intertwined.