When France announced it would phase out Zoom and Microsoft Teams from government use by 2027, some dismissed it as French protectionism. But a pattern is emerging across Europe - and Estonia, the continent's most digitally advanced nation, just joined the movement.
Estonia begins testing alternatives
This week, Estonia's IT Centre (RIT) announced it will begin piloting government workstations that run entirely without American technology. The test, starting this fall, could include LibreOffice or OpenOffice running on Linux - meaning no Windows, no Microsoft 365.
RIT director Ergo Tars was direct about the motivation: "If a decision were made in the European Union that American products are no longer trusted, what situation would we be in? Then we would have to look purely at Europe-based products."
This isn't theoretical planning. It's active preparation.
Why Estonia matters
Estonia is arguably the world's most digitized country. Citizens can vote online, file taxes in minutes, and even initiate divorce proceedings in 45 seconds. When Estonia takes digital infrastructure seriously, other countries pay attention.
The country has already moved over 7,000 government workstations to cloud-based solutions - currently using Microsoft 365. But they're now building parallel systems that could operate independently if needed.
Estonia also recently launched its AI Leap initiative, bringing AI tools to 20,000 students and 3,000 teachers starting September 2025. The government is negotiating directly with OpenAI and Anthropic - but on their own terms, as a sovereign nation choosing which tools to integrate into education.
A growing European pattern
Estonia joins a growing list of EU member states reconsidering their dependence on American technology:
France announced in 2024 that government agencies must stop using Zoom, Teams, and other non-EU collaboration tools by 2027. They're replacing them with Visio, a domestically developed platform.
Austria saw Microsoft fined after its Education platform placed tracking cookies on students' devices without consent - a ruling that sent shockwaves through European education.
Germany has long-standing concerns about US cloud providers and GDPR compliance. Several German states are actively migrating to open-source alternatives.
The Netherlands issued warnings about Microsoft's data practices in government settings after the American company Kyndryl acquired Dutch cloud provider Solvinity - alarming government clients who had specifically chosen a Dutch provider.
The common thread: data sovereignty, security concerns, and the realization that critical infrastructure shouldn't depend on foreign companies subject to foreign laws.
What this means for education
Schools and tutoring organizations face the same questions governments are now asking. Where is student data stored? Who can access it? What happens if a service becomes unavailable - or untrusted?
For institutions working with minors, these aren't abstract concerns. The Austrian ruling showed that even "education-focused" products from major tech companies may not respect privacy the way European law requires.
Tars acknowledged that "there is currently no comprehensive replacement for U.S. technology companies" - Microsoft remains the most complete workplace solution. But European alternatives are developing rapidly.
The search for alternatives
Across Europe, directories and communities are emerging to help organizations find local replacements for American apps. Options now exist for:
Cloud storage: Nextcloud (Germany), Infomaniak (Switzerland), pCloud (Switzerland)
Email: Proton Mail (Switzerland), Mailbox.org (Germany), Soverin (Netherlands)
Video conferencing: Various EU-based solutions designed specifically for education, including platforms that keep data within European borders and prioritize GDPR compliance.
Infrastructure: OVHcloud (France), Scaleway (France), Hetzner (Germany)
The ecosystem isn't complete yet, but it's growing faster than most people realize.
The bottom line
Estonia's experiment signals something larger than one country's IT policy. Europe's most digital nation is actively preparing for a future where relying solely on American tech may not be an option.
For schools, tutoring centers, and educational institutions, the message is clear: the tools you choose today may need to change tomorrow. Building on EU-based, GDPR-compliant platforms isn't just about compliance - it's about resilience.
Simpleclass is a Dutch company with servers in the EU, built specifically for European tutoring institutions. We're not subject to the US CLOUD Act, we don't track students, and we don't sell data. As Europe moves toward digital sovereignty, that foundation matters more than ever.