International Criminal Court kicks Microsoft Office to the curb
Summary
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has announced a migration away from Microsoft Office to openDesk, an open-source office and collaboration suite provided by the Centre for Digital Sovereignty (ZenDiS) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior. The change follows growing European concern about dependence on US technology after political tensions and high-profile actions — including a US executive order that targeted ICC officials — raised questions about service continuity and data sovereignty.
Key Points
- The ICC will replace Microsoft Office with openDesk, an open-source European alternative.
- The move is driven by concerns about reliance on US tech and potential political pressure or sanctions.
- Previous incidents — such as the reported loss of access to ICC email accounts and US executive action — helped accelerate the decision.
- European projects and administrations (Munich, Schleswig-Holstein, Lyon and others) have similarly moved towards open-source office tools in recent years.
- Microsoft says it values the ICC relationship and has denied suspending services to the court.
Content Summary
The ICC confirmed the migration to openDesk but provided no further comment. The switch comes amid a wider European push for digital sovereignty and fewer dependencies on major US cloud and software providers. Concerns have been amplified by US policy actions (including an executive order earlier in 2025) and high-profile outages at cloud providers, alongside Microsoft acknowledging limits in guaranteeing data protections under US law such as the Cloud Act.
The shift is part of a trend: several German states and European cities have already pursued Linux and LibreOffice or other open-source stacks, citing control over data and resilience. The ICC’s move is notable because of the court’s international role and the geopolitical implications of technology choice.
Context and Relevance
This decision sits at the intersection of technology, law and geopolitics. For public-sector IT teams, policymakers and organisations handling sensitive data, the ICC’s migration is a high-profile example of the digital-sovereignty argument in action: if government actions or foreign policy can affect service availability, organisations may prefer locally governed or open alternatives.
It also highlights practical considerations — compatibility, support, migration effort — that follow any move away from dominant vendors. The story is part of a broader European pattern of diversifying away from single large US providers to manage risk, cost and regulatory exposure.
Why should I read this?
Short and blunt: if you care about who holds your data and how politics can mess with your apps, this matters. The ICC swapping Microsoft for a European open-source suite is more than a software change — it’s a flag planted in the ground on digital sovereignty. Useful if you’re planning migrations, advising public bodies, or tracking how geopolitics is reshaping enterprise IT.