France seems to be gearing up for a major shift in its public sector tech stack, as the government looks to move several Windows-powered computers to Linux in an effort to cut dependence on US-based software companies and increase control over its digital infrastructure.The migration to Linux – which is an open-source operating system (OS) that is free to download and use – will start with computers at the French government’s digital agency, DINUM. Other government ministries and agencies are expected to come up with their own migration plans in the next few months.These plans could reportedly address eight categories of dependency: workstations and operating systems, collaborative and communication tools, antivirus and security software, artificial intelligence and algorithms, databases and storage, virtualisation and cloud infrastructure, and network and telecommunications equipment.However, the French government did not provide a specific timeline for the Linux switchover or the distributions under consideration. For context, Linux offers various customised distributions that are tailored and designed for specific use cases or operations.This is the latest step by France to reduce reliance on US tech giants and strengthen its digital sovereignty by adopting locally developed software and cloud services. It comes amid a growing cultural rift between the US and its traditional European allies following the return of US President Donald Trump to the White House last year.Since France is a leading member state of the European Union (EU), its actions could potentially influence others in the bloc. Other governments could be watching closely too. Last year, the Indian government renewed efforts to promote ‘Swadeshi’ or homegrown tech platforms and reduce dependence on US-based service providers.“We must become less reliant on American tools and regain control of our digital destiny. We 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,” David Amiel, France’s Minister of Public Action and Accounts, said in a statement. Echoing these sentiments, Anne Le Hénanff, France’s Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology, said, “Digital sovereignty is not an option, it is a strategic necessity.”Story continues below this adFrance’s digital sovereignty pushA few months ago, the French government announced it would stop using Microsoft Teams for video conferencing in favour of French-made Visio, a tool based on the open-source end-to-end encrypted video meeting tool Jitsi. In addition, the French government said it also plans to migrate its health data platform to a new trusted platform by the end of the year.While the Linux transition is currently limited to DINUM, the roughly 250-person agency headed by the Interministerial Directorate for Digital Affairs, is said to be an important part of the French state. France’s Directorate General for Enterprises (DGE), the National Cybersecurity Agency of France (ANSSI), and the State Procurement Directorate (DAE) are also expected to join DINUM in the digital sovereignty mission, according to a report by The New Web.Also Read | Microsoft’s ‘legacy’ automated system triggered suspension of Nayara’s servicesFurthermore, stakeholders have reportedly been directed to study what “workstations, collaborative tools, antivirus software, artificial intelligence, databases, virtualisation, and network equipment” will be needed to move ahead with this digital sovereignty initiative.India’s digital sovereignty pushThe Indian government’s push for self-reliance last year came amid steep US-imposed trade tariffs on Indian goods, with several Indian ministers and senior government officials publicly highlighting their use of products developed by companies such as MapmyIndia and Zoho. As a result, Mappls was positioned as a Google Maps rival, while Zoho’s instant messaging app Arattai was pitted against Meta’s WhatsApp.Story continues below this adHowever, Arattai’s momentum quickly faded, as it reportedly saw a sharp decline in its app store rankings in India since the initial download surge. But government adoption of Zoho’s other offerings still appears to be on track.In response to a Parliament question, the IT Ministry told the Lok Sabha on April 1, 2026, that over 16.68 lakh official government email IDs and accounts have been moved to a cloud-based platform operated by Zoho, with total expenditure reaching Rs 180.10 crore, so far.The migration to Zoho Mail is being overseen by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), which selected the Chennai-based global enterprise software firm as the Master System Integrator for providing a cloud-based email solution to government users following a bidding process.The pursuit of digital sovereigntySince taking office in January 2025, US President Trump has escalated confrontations with foreign leaders. He has also weaponised tariffs and sanctions, including those aimed at individual critics such as the judges on the International Criminal Court, who have reported having their bank accounts closed and access to US tech services terminated, as well as being blocked from any other US service.Story continues below this adAmid concerns of Trump’s use of tariffs and sanctions as a geopolitical weapon, European lawmakers and government leaders have become increasingly focused on the risks of over-reliance on US technology. At the start of the year, the European Parliament voted to adopt a report directing the European Commission to identify areas where the EU can reduce its reliance on foreign providers.Also Read | Education ministry directs officials to use Zoho Office suite citing ‘swadeshi movement’These concerns are not just theoretical. A recent case involving Microsoft – which blocked services to Indian refiner Nayara Energy after it was placed on an EU sanction list – underscores how quickly such dependencies can translate into real-world disruption. The Windows-maker later said that the action stemmed from an automated “legacy” compliance system, adding that it has since changed its enforcement mechanism by requiring a review process by its senior leadership before suspending services to an entity.