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The Netherlands Built a Nix-Based Linux Desktop Because Microsoft Cut Off the ICC (itsfoss.com)

submitted 4 days ago by tardigrade@scribe.disroot.org to c/buyeuropean@feddit.uk

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When the U.S. government imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in early 2025, the consequences were far-reaching yet quickly enforced.

The restrictions cut off the ICC chief prosecutor's access to Microsoft services, including email, followed by a freezing of his personal and institutional bank accounts in affected jurisdictions.

While this was happening, the Dutch government was watching, coming to the bitter realization that access to essential services depended on decisions made in the U.S.

Hence, their response to this is DAWO, short for Digitaal Autonome Werkomgeving Overheid, or Digital Autonomous Work Environment for Government in English.

It is a framework that looks to tackle the government's digital stack, covering the OS, an office suite, collaboration apps, cloud services, IT management tools, and AI, with all of it being built around a NixOS foundation.

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[-] CharlesDarwin1809@piefed.world 25 points 4 days ago

As a European (British) I hope Europe can become as autonomous as possible.

We can trade with foreign entities when they're being reasonable, but at the moment a few of them are being unreasonable.

[-] xav@programming.dev 6 points 4 days ago

As a European (British)

Still feels weird seeing that sentence.

[-] CharlesDarwin1809@piefed.world 6 points 3 days ago

In a way maybe it is weird. Anyway, whether the UK rejoins the EU in the coming years or not, I hope the UK cooperates with the EU where it makes sense. The UK and the EU both have an interest in a prosperous Europe which doesn't need to rely on unreliable or unfriendly states (US, China, Russia).

[-] foo@feddit.uk 6 points 3 days ago

It's also weird that those three countries, Russia, China and USA, are becoming so frequently talked about in the same light. The speed that the US has joined the other two in being referred to as both unreliable and unfriendly is incredible, and kinda scary really. I know it will take time to repair the damage but I hope they turn it around soon.

[-] CharlesDarwin1809@piefed.world 3 points 3 days ago

I guess the American people need to decide whether they want to be friends with Europe again. Trump got 49.8% of the popular vote in 2024, so not a majority, but still a lot of people. So they need to choose between continuing isolation in 2028 (e.g. Vance) or a leader who is a bit more sensible (e.g. Gavin Newsom).

[-] Quexotic@infosec.pub 2 points 3 days ago

In all likelihood, the vote was compromised. And anyway, the majority of the people of the U.S. do want to be friends with Europe. The problem is, once a fascist gets into power with a vote, it is very unlikely for them to leave power until they are dead. History shows us this much.

[-] CharlesDarwin1809@piefed.world 1 points 3 days ago

Many experts in the US have said that US votes are reliable though, right? Trump kept casting doubt on US votes, saying that Biden could only have won in 2020 due to manipulation, and experts were saying that actually the US voting system is reliable.

I definitely believe that many Americans want to be friends with Europe, yes. I also think there are quite a few Americans who love Trump and dislike Europe for whatever reasons. I hope America will elect somebody more sensible than Trump in 2028, but I don't think it's yet clear what will happen.

[-] Quexotic@infosec.pub 1 points 1 day ago

It's already been established that it's definitely possible, but we haven't had any vote audits, so if it did happen, we wouldn't necessarily even know. Alao, with all the crap that Elon was pulling in the last election, I find it really difficult to believe that there was no manipulation, and at this point going forward, it's out in the open entirely.

We have cases of Republicans stealing voting machine, hard drives prior to the presidential election too.

https://electiontruthalliance.org/ has enough convincing content for me.

Am I cynical? Sure, but the nationwide and widespread efforts at voter disenfranchisement are enough for me to be satisfied that my doubt is valid. If this is what they're doing right in front of their faces, then why wouldn't they also be taking actions that we don't know about?

[-] CharlesDarwin1809@piefed.world 1 points 1 day ago

I definitely think Musk wants to rig elections as much as he can, but he probably tries to do it just about within the law, so he can sell himself as a moral fighter for whatever crap he thinks he's fighting for (enriching himself, of course).

I guess my general point was that lots of Americans did seem to vote for Trump in 2024, even if many of those now seem to regret their vote, given Trump's current approval ratings. I hope that a better US president will be elected in 2028. But I think Europe should aim for as much autonomy as possible, regardless of how 2028 turns out, so that friendship with the US becomes a choice rather than an obligation.

[-] Quexotic@infosec.pub 1 points 11 hours ago

October 2024 interview with Tucker Carlson. He said, in the context of a Trump loss: “I’m fucked,” then asked, “How long do you think my prison sentence is going to be? … Will I see my children?”

I wouldn't be too sure he did anything within the law.

[-] CharlesDarwin1809@piefed.world 1 points 4 hours ago

Maybe there is more manipulation in US elections than I'm aware of, I don't know. Anyway, I do think it would be good if the US and Europe could be strong friends, but I don't think that should happen while politicians such as the MAGA cabal are in control of America. I remember when Trump complained about apparent "foreign interference" of Brits in the 2024 US presidential election, only for Trump's vice president to then actively campaign for a European political candidate, Viktor Orban.

Yes probably many Americans want to be friends with Europe so it's a shame that the Americans who don't like Europe are currently running America

[-] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 1 points 3 days ago

Always was thought of in those terms, particularly the Cold War, but a superpower was nice to have on side at least on paper. The difference is in the inability to depend even short term on some sort of framework. He changes his mind several times a day.

[-] mobyduck648@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago

I just wish there was a snowman's chance in hell of the UK getting rid of Microsoft. They're a strategic risk and their software makes me welcome the merciful geomagnetic storm or nuclear EMP that'll erase it all.

I could take the end of the world as long as Redmond got nuked a few minutes before me and I could enjoy a few glorious Microsoft-free moments.

[-] CharlesDarwin1809@piefed.world 2 points 3 days ago

I would argue that Microsoft are better than they used to be (I quite like TypeScript, and WSL) but perhaps only marginally. I'm lucky that I don't have to use Windows. I just use Linux these days.

In terms of sovereignty, I think Europe should try to find alternatives to Microsoft for critical things, even if the only reason for that is because Microsoft is American. As the OP article shows, the US government can make it painful for Europe to rely on American companies like Microsoft, regardless of what Microsoft themselves choose to do.

this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2026

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