Matrix messaging gaining ground in government IT

Source: Hacker News

FOSDEM 2026 – Matrix’s Rise Amid Growing Digital‑Sovereignty Interest

FOSDEM 2026 highlighted the thriving Matrix open‑communication protocol as organisations seek to move data out of corporate clouds and into their own ownership.

The project was co‑founded by Matthew Hodgson and Amandine le Pape, and The Register FOSS desk met both at this year’s FOSDEM for a chat about what’s happening with Matrix.

The Register has covered Matrix and its commercial Element side many times over the years, but it helps to first explain the two sides of the Matrix project.

• It existed since 2014 when it separated from its parent and sponsor, telecoms vendor Amdocs – a company we have covered since at least 2000.
  (Who is Matrix.org?)
  (Amdocs coverage)

The two public faces of Matrix

• Element.io – client apps • server suite • Element Pro • Server Suite Pro

Matrix is an open protocol

Because Matrix is open, anyone can implement it. You don’t need to run Element to communicate on Matrix.

Example:
This vulture usually runs Thunderbird in the background, quietly syncing mail. Since version 102 (2022) it includes native Matrix support, saving the memory of keeping the Element web app open in a tab (e.g., via Ferdium or similar).
(Thunderbird 102 release)

Recent FOSDEM context

• Amandine le Pape spoke on “Europe’s Software Challenge” at the Open Source Policy Summit (reported earlier this week).
  (Open Forum Europe speaker page)
• Matthew Hodgson noted rising interest, especially from the EU, in digital sovereignty.

Global adoption

• United Nations – using Matrix for an in‑house, air‑gapped communications tool, ensuring independence from any country or hosting provider.

• International Criminal Court (ICC) – switching to OpenDesk (which uses Element for chat) after ditching Microsoft Office.

  • Reported in October 2025: ICC’s move away from Microsoft Office.
  • After sanctions on ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan, the court lost email and banking access, prompting the switch.
  • OpenDesk is provided by German organisation ZenDiS (Zentrum für Digitale Souveränität der Öffentlichen Verwaltung).
  • Also adopted by the Bundeswehr and its IT supplier BWI GmbH.
  • Sources:
    • ICC ditching Office (Oct 2025)
    • Sanctions on Karim Khan

• DACH region –

  • Swiss Post (Switzerland)
  • Austrian healthcare system

• France – adopting the digital workspace La Suite. Two components are Matrix‑based:

  • Tchap (chat)
  • Visio (video conferencing) – see recent Reg coverage for non‑Francophones.
  • Sources:
    • La Suite
    • Tchap
    • Visio
    • Visio coverage (Jan 2026)

• Ukraine – official use of Matrix.

• Netherlands – a new peer‑to‑peer network built on Matrix.

• 2025 Matrix Conference – ten more national governments sent representatives to discuss Matrix use.
  (Conference blog)

• Previous speaking engagements – Hodgson last spoke at the Ubuntu Summit 2024, presenting on Matrix 2.0.
  (Ubuntu Summit 2024 coverage)

Related Register stories

• ‘The EU runs on Microsoft’ – and Uncle Sam could turn it off, claims MEP
• Mastodon CEO steps down with €1 M payout and a deep sigh
• Matrix.org homeserver grinds to a halt after RAID meltdown
• Secure chat darling Matrix admits pair of ‘high severity’ protocol flaws need painful fixes

[The Matrix 2.0 specification](https://matrix.org/blog/2023/09/matrix-2-0/) was first discussed at the
[Canonical Open Source Summit](https://events.canonical.com/event/51/contributions/512/).  
It was officially **released in late 2024** ([announcement](https://matrix.org/blog/2024/10/29/matrix-2.0-is-here/)), and among the many new features
([full list](https://matrix.org/blog/2023/09/matrix-2-0/)) it enables faster sync and client startup, as well as
multi‑user video or VoIP chat via **[Element Call](https://call.element.io/)**.

As we hadn’t heard much about its adoption, we asked around. Although the foundation has yet to publish a final formal
specification, the code is out there and already in use. In fact, we were surprised to discover that we were already
using it: the modern default mobile client for Matrix is the Rust‑based **[Element X](https://element.io/blog/element-x-experience-the-future-of-element/)**,
which defaults to the version 2 protocol where it’s available.

*The Register* has **previously referred to Matrix** as “a relatively niche messaging technology”
([article](https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/30/france_matrix/)), but it is out there, slowly and steadily gaining
users, traction, and presence. It is a more generalized tool than, for example, the FOSS team‑chat platform
**[Zulip](https://zulip.com/)**, which *The Register* covered in 2021
([review](https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/28/zulip_open_source_chat_collaboration_software/)).  
We plan to return to Zulip soon – the company has told us a new version is looming.

What’s a little different about Matrix is that thousands of people use it every day without ever having heard of it,
because it’s embedded inside other tools and applications.

It may be relatively niche compared to some big companies with larger advertising budgets, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t
significant. For instance, we suspect that some windswept little islands in the Northwest Atlantic look niche to the
big government across that ocean, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t important. ®