France will stop using US software like Microsoft Teams and Zoom
Listen to the story (Canadian accent)
France announced on Monday that it will stop using American software like Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
Instead, the country will use a new video conferencing platform made in France. All government departments must use this new tool by 2027.
France wants to stop depending on foreign companies, especially companies from the United States.
This plan helps France control its own digital systems. A government minister said the goal is to protect the privacy of government communications. By using a local tool, the government can make sure its data stays safe and private.
The new video conferencing platform is called Visio. The government has already tested Visio for one year, and it now has 40,000 users. Visio is part of a larger project called Suite Numérique. This project creates French digital tools to replace American services like Gmail and Slack. These tools are only for government workers, not for the public or private companies.
Visio uses advanced technology. It uses artificial intelligence from a French company called Pyannote to write down what people say during meetings. The platform is also kept on servers owned by Outscale, which is a French cloud company.
The government thinks this change will save money. Switching to Visio could save 1 million euros every year for every 100,000 users. This decision also comes after problems with American cloud services that stopped working last year. European leaders are worried about relying too much on technology from other countries.
This plan shows France's commitment to digital independence. Because of international tensions, France wants to avoid foreign spying or technical problems from foreign companies.
Vocabulary40 words
- Announce
- to tell people important news; to say something officially 📢
- Software
- programs used by a computer; apps; applications
- Instead
- in place of something else; as another choice
- Video conference
- an online meeting where people see and hear each other using cameras and microphones
- Platform
- a website or computer program/application used for a specific activity; a digital system
- Government
- the group of people who control and lead a country 🏛️
- Government department
- a specific part of the government that does one type of work, like health or education
- Tool
- something that helps you do a job; a piece of equipment; an app or program 🛠️
- Depend on
- to need someone or something for help; to trust something to work
- Foreign
- from a different country; not from your own country
- Especially
- more than others; specifically; mostly
- The United States
- a large country in North America; the USA; America 🇺🇸
- Plan
- a list of steps to do something; a design for the future; an idea for action
- Digital system
- a group of computers or programs that work together
- Minister
- an important leader in the government; a person in charge of a department
- Goal
- aim or purpose; something you want to achieve or complete 🎯
- Protect
- to keep something safe; to stop someone from getting hurt 🛡️
- Privacy
- keeping information secret; the state of being alone or hidden from others 🔒
- Local
- from the area where you live; nearby; from your own country
- Test
- to try something to see if it works; to check for problems
- User
- a person who uses a service, program, or machine
- Replace
- to put something new in the place of something old; to change one thing for another
- Service
- a system that provides help to people, like water, internet, or apps
- Public
- for everyone to use; not private; open to all people
- Private company
- a business owned by people, not by the government
- Advanced technology
- very modern machines or programs; new and clever systems
- Artificial intelligence (AI)
- computer programs that can think and learn like humans
- Meeting
- a time when people come together to talk about work or ideas
- Server
- a large powerful computer that stores information and shares it with other computers
- Cloud
- a way to store information on the internet instead of on your own computer ☁️
- Million
- one million = 1,000,000;
- Euro
- the type of money used in many European countries, including France 💶
- Decision
- a choice you make after thinking; a final answer
- Leader
- a person in control of a group or country; a boss
- Rely on
- to need someone or something; to depend on; to trust
- Commitment
- a strong promise to do something; a serious decision to stay with a plan
- Digital independence
- being free to use your own computers and systems without help from other countries
- International tensions
- difficult or angry feelings between different countries
- Avoid
- to stay away from something; to stop something from happening
- Spying
- secretly watching someone to get information; collecting secrets 🕵️
Quiz
Answer key
1. French government workers 2. 1,000,000 euros 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
France announced _____ Monday that it will stop using American software like Microsoft Teams and _____ .
Instead, the country will _____ a new video conferencing platform made in France. _____ government departments must use this new tool by _____ .
France wants to stop depending on _____ companies, especially companies from the United States.
_____ plan helps France control its own digital systems. A government _____ said the goal is to protect the privacy of government _____ . By using a local tool, the government can make sure its data _____ safe and private.
The new _____ conferencing platform is called Visio. The government _____ already tested Visio for one year, and it now has _____ users. Visio is part of a larger project called Suite Numérique. This _____ creates French digital tools to replace _____ services like Gmail and Slack. These tools are only for government _____ , not for the public or private companies.
Visio uses _____ technology. It uses artificial intelligence from a French _____ called Pyannote to write down what people say during _____ . The platform is also kept on servers _____ by Outscale, which is a French cloud company.
The government _____ this change will save money. Switching to Visio could save 1 _____ euros every year for every 100,000 users. _____ decision also comes after problems with American cloud services _____ stopped working last year. European leaders _____ worried about relying too much on technology from _____ countries.
This plan shows France's _____ to digital independence. Because of international _____ , France wants to avoid foreign spying or _____ problems from foreign companies.
Discussion questions
- In your opinion, is it important for a country to have its own software? Why or why not?
- Do you think government data is safer on local servers or on global "cloud" servers?
- Which do you prefer for video calls: Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or another app? Why?
- If your company or school changed to a new, unknown software tomorrow, how would you feel?
- Do you think saving money is the most important reason for this change, or is privacy more important?
- How much do you trust artificial intelligence (AI) to write down your conversations?
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