// government tech policy

Source: Hackaday

The Netherlands' shift away from Microsoft Windows reflects a broader European pattern of reducing dependency on U.S. tech infrastructure, driven by geopolitical concerns around sovereignty and data control that have intensified since 2022. Governments now view operating system choice as a strategic asset. Open-source alternatives reduce vendor lock-in and create domestic tech capacity. If executed at scale across EU member states, such migrations could accelerate open-source investment in critical infrastructure and alter the software market's competitive dynamics.