Tchap, the new secure state messaging service that all ministries will have to use from the start of the school year
French Government Mandates Secure Messaging App Tchap for Public Servants
“To ensure the security of conversations and information shared through instant messaging, the widespread deployment of the Tchap instant messaging application is required,” states a circular issued by the Prime Minister, François Bayrou, on Friday, July 25th. It directs public officials, particularly members of ministerial cabinets, to adopt this secure messaging system starting September 1st, 2025.
Tchap is presented as a “sovereign instant messaging” platform entirely hosted on French servers, developed and operated by the Interministerial Directorate for Digital Technology, and validated by the National Agency for Information Systems Security. According to the document, it is already used by “more than 300,000 agents.”
To support this choice, the Prime Minister cites the risk of cyberattacks, but also interference from foreign countries, “which are likely to implement technical or legal measures to access exchanged communications.” He specifically targets the United States, home to WhatsApp, Signal, and Messenger. Due to the Cloud Act, enacted in 2018, American companies can be forced to hand over their data to Washington, even if it is stored outside the United States.
The government, through its former Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, had already instructed its agents to abandon messaging services like Messenger, Signal, Telegram, or WhatsApp. The circular, dated November 22nd, 2023, recommended replacing them with the French messaging app Olvid, which claims to be the “first private messaging for all,” encrypted and without personal data. Tchap should be prioritized, but ministries may continue to use Olvid, which, according to the July 25th circular, “also meets the aforementioned security objectives.”
Key Takeaways:
- French government mandates Tchap for secure communication.
- Concerns over cyberattacks and foreign interference drive the decision.
- The Cloud Act poses a risk to data stored with US-based companies.
- Olvid remains an acceptable alternative.
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