The Prime Minister of France Elizabeth Borne has recently signed a circular asking all of the government officials to uninstall foreign communication apps such as Signal, WhatsApp and Telegram by 8 December 2023. In their place, they will use a French messaging app called "Olvid“.
The new rule applies to ministers, foreign ministers, heads of state Staff and members of the cabinet.
According to BleepingComputer, this is not a ban on the use of foreign messaging apps, but a recommendation to switch to locally developed software.
See also: Canada: data breach affects government employees
The French Olvid app supports end-to-end encrypted Messages, uses decentralized infrastructure and does not require a phone number or other personal data for registration.
“The main instant messaging applications occupy an increasing place in our daily communications. However, these the digital Tools are not devoid of security vulnerabilities and therefore do not ensure the security of the conversations and information shared through them", says the Prime Minister's speech.
“To address the threats arising from the use of these applications, the French company Olvid has developed an instant messaging application that guarantees the protection of users' data thanks to a decentralized directory and end-to-end message encryption, while maintaining the same functionality as current applications“.
Η Meredith Whittaker, President of the Signal, disputed the French government's claims about security vulnerabilities in the application and stressed that they the allegations are unfounded and misleading.
Security comparisons between Olvid and other messaging applications may prove questionable due to Olvid's unique distinction of having "first level security certification" by ANSSI (France's national cybersecurity agency).
See also: New Jersey and Ohio block TikTok from state devices
This certification includes a thorough examination of the application's source code by government cybersecurity experts. But none of the other major applications mentioned in this post have undergone a rigorous evaluation process.
This in itself upgrades the security credentials of Olvid and practically makes it a good choice for use in the highest echelons of the French government.
According to a French journalist who spoke to BleepingComputer, the exact reason behind the promotion of the Olvid app remains unknown, while not everyone seems to agree with the Prime Minister's directive. For example, some consider that both the Signal is a good and reliable choice.
Previously, in March 2023, the French government followed the example of many other Western countries to ban the use of the app TikTok to devices of government officials for fear of espionage.
The French government now seems to be concerned about the security of foreign messaging applications. Perhaps it fears for the leakage of important information. Employees often disclose sensitive information, such as names, addresses, phone numbers and other government data during conversations. This information can be stolen by malicious users or leaked by the app itself.
See also: South Dakota blocks TikTok from state devices
However, the French government's proposal that foreign chat apps should not be used by government employees may have significant effects on the market for applications messaging. First, this proposal may lead to reduction in demand for foreign chat applications. A reduction in demand may lead to a reduction in the revenues and purchasing power of these companies.
Source : www.bleepingcomputer.com
