France drops Microsoft, picks Scaleway for health data

France has selected domestic cloud provider Scaleway to host its national Health Data Hub, replacing Microsoft in a major shift aimed at strengthening digital sovereignty and reducing reliance on U.S. technology firms.

Scaleway, a subsidiary of Iliad, confirmed on Thursday that it will take over hosting responsibilities for the platform, which manages sensitive health records for tens of millions of French citizens. The transition is expected to be completed between late 2026 and early 2027, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

The decision reflects a broader European push toward “cloud sovereignty,” as governments across the continent seek greater control over critical data infrastructure. Concerns over foreign jurisdiction and data access laws have driven renewed scrutiny of U.S.-based cloud providers in sensitive sectors.

France’s Health Data Hub project has been controversial since 2019, when Microsoft Azure was initially selected without a competitive tender process. Regulatory and legal challenges followed, with French authorities warning about potential exposure to foreign legal frameworks.

In parallel developments across Europe, other governments are also shifting away from major U.S. software providers. In Germany, the state of Schleswig-Holstein is migrating government systems away from Microsoft products, while Denmark has begun transitioning parts of its public sector to open-source alternatives.

French authorities have emphasized that future hosting of sensitive national data must comply with strict security standards under the SecNumCloud certification framework, which is designed to ensure that data cannot be accessed under non-European legal jurisdictions.

The move marks a significant milestone in Europe’s ongoing effort to build independent digital infrastructure and reduce strategic dependency on global tech giants.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada