2017-07-02

All across Europe, from Finland to Portugal, Ireland to Greece, the information technology (IT) of government administrations is based on Microsoft programmes. This is what Investigative Europe, a team of nine journalists from eight European countries found.

This is Investigate Europe's second major round of publications after their previous research of the dysfunctional new regime for 'European Border Control'. ‘Software colony Europe’, as the investigation is called found that because digital systems are constantly growing in both size and importance, countries are becoming ever increasingly dependent on this single corporation. 
 
What consequences does this “lock-in” have, as it is called in technical jargon? What risks does it pose? And what can governments do to counter it? Investigate Europe, explored this question for three months, interviewing economists, computer scientists, IT managers, security experts and politicians from twelve European countries, as well as the EU Commission and EU Parliament. The results are alarming.
The reliance of countries on Microsoft:
  • causes costs to rise continuously and blocks technical progress in government authorities and organisations;
  • systematically undermines European procurement and competition laws;
  • brings with it overwhelming political influence for the company, culminating in personal interdependence as well as penetration of schools and universities;
  • and puts government IT systems, together with their citizens’ personal information, at high risk, both technologically and politically.

PUBLICATIONS

Europe’s dire dependency on Microsoft - Investigate Europe, 21 June 2017

Why Europe’s dependency on Microsoft is a huge security risk - Investigate Europe, 13 May 2017

Anti-trust complaints target Microsoft in the European Union - Computer Weekly, 6 April 2017

New anti-trust complaint looms over Microsoft - EUObserver, 6 April 2017

Kaspersky zieht Microsoft vor die EU-Kommission - Handelszeitung, 6 April 2017

Die Bürosoftware als Sicherheitsrisiko - Handelszeitung, 12 April 2017

Neue Kartellbeschwerde gegen Microsoft - Der Tagesspiegel, 6 April 2017

Microsoft alvo de queixas por “abuso de posição dominante” - Publico, 6 April 2017

Europa, a “colónia digital” dos EUA - Publico, 9 April 2017

Europas fatale Abhängigkeit von Microsoft - Der Tagesspiegel, 13 May 2017

Gefangen in der Welt von Microsoft - Falter, 11 April 2017

Das trojanische Pferd - Falter, 19 April 2017

SKOLONIZOWANI PRZEZ MICROSOFT - Newsweek Polska, April 2017

Je česká státní správa „rukojmím Microsoftu“? - Investigace, 18 April 2017

Uten Microsoft stopper Europa - Aftenbladet, April 2017

Trondheim hilser fra skyen - Aftenbladet, April 2017

Microsoft er hackernes favoritt - Aftenbladet, April 2017

Locked in by choice: How European governments are handling their Microsoft addiction - Computer Weekly, April 2017

Exclusif - Microsoft : menace sur la sécurité de l'Etat - Marianne, 20 May 2017

Ευρώπη, η ψηφιακή αποικία της Microsoft - EfSyn, 19 June 2017

Εκατομμύρια μαθητές εθίζονται στα προϊόντα της Microsoft - EfSyn, 20 June 2017

H Ευρώπη χωρίς ασπίδα προστασίας για τον... «ιό» της Microsoft - EfSyn, 21 June 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 
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