GrapheneOS has officially declared it is done with France. The open source privacy-first operating system is pulling its infrastructure out of the country after what it describes as direct threats and smear campaigns from the French state.
It started when a French journalist contacted the project about a story linking GrapheneOS to criminal activity. The team said no details were given at first, but it soon became clear the claims were coming from French law enforcement.
Since then, news outlets across France have run stories quoting law enforcement saying GrapheneOS is sold in dark alleys and on the dark web, that it can wipe phones via fake Snapchat pages, and that its use is a clear sign someone is trying to hide something.
The project fired back. It stated these claims are false, that they don’t reflect how the OS works, and that France clearly does not understand open source software.
GrapheneOS pointed out that plenty of third parties use or resell phones running its code, but the project itself is not involved in any gray market activity. France, they said, is confusing the core project with outside actors.
The team made it clear they are not going to wait for legal action. France is now considered unsafe, and GrapheneOS is preemptively moving infrastructure out of reach.
At the time of the announcement, they had a single server inside France and 15 hosted elsewhere with OVH, a French cloud provider. That number is already down to five, all in Quebec. These remaining servers are being migrated to new providers before a full move to colocated hardware in Toronto.
The deeper issue is the same one that always comes up. Just because a tool can be used by criminals doesn’t mean it should be criminalized. Cars are used in crime. So are hoodies. So are phones.
GrapheneOS gives people control of their devices and tight privacy defaults. That doesn’t make it illegal or dangerous. It makes it useful.
When a government decides that any privacy-preserving tech is suspect by default, it exposes its true position. It’s not about fighting crime. It’s about crushing anything it can’t see.
GrapheneOS did the right thing by cutting ties with a hostile jurisdiction. If only more projects had the spine to walk when the pressure starts.
Blackout VPN exists because privacy is a right. Your first name is too much information for us.
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FAQ
Why is GrapheneOS leaving France
Due to threats from the French government and false claims made by law enforcement in media reports
Did France take legal action against GrapheneOS
Not yet but GrapheneOS said the threat was clear enough to justify pulling out early
Is GrapheneOS used by criminals
Yes just like many tools including cars and smartphones but it is also widely used by journalists and privacy advocates
What infrastructure is being moved
Servers hosted by French cloud provider OVH are being replaced and relocated to Canada
Is GrapheneOS illegal in France
No but it is being targeted and misrepresented by authorities and media in the country