The European Parliament Replaces Google with Qwant: The Engine Becomes the Default Choice on the Institution's Computers

Starting today, June 4, the French search engine Qwant will replace Google as the default service on the computers of the European Parliament. This decision affects the Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox browsers used within the European institution and was first reported by POLITICO and later confirmed by Reuters.

The change will be automatically applied to devices in use at the Parliament, but it will not be mandatory. European lawmakers, parliamentary assistants, and administrative staff can continue to use another search engine if they wish. The choice has been motivated by the goal of reducing dependence on digital tools developed outside the European Union and promoting the adoption of European services that pay special attention to the protection of personal data.

Qwant, founded in France in 2013, presents itself as a privacy-oriented alternative to Google. The search engine claims not to track users and not to collect personal data intended for user profiling.

The decision of the European Parliament to replace Google with Qwant comes in a context characterized by a growing debate on the technological sovereignty of the Union. In recent months, political demands have intensified to reduce the dependence of European institutions on software and services provided by US companies. In November last year, 38 MEPs belonging to different political groups directed a request to the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, urging her to initiate a gradual reduction of dependence on Microsoft and other foreign suppliers.

The news also coincides with the European Commission's presentation of a new package dedicated to technological sovereignty. The initiative includes two legislative proposals related to the chip, cloud, and artificial intelligence sectors, as well as a strategy dedicated to open source and a roadmap for the development of digital technology and artificial intelligence in the energy sector. The proposals presented by the Commission will now be examined and negotiated by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union before they can proceed with their institutional process.