European Parliament switches to Qwant as default search engine

The European Parliament (EP) will start using the French search engine Qwant instead of Google, which is currently set as the default search engine on institutional computers, as part of its digital sovereignty goals.

In a statement from the EP spokesperson’s office, it was announced that as of today, the default search engine on browsers used within the institution will be Qwant, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

The statement noted that the change will be applied automatically, but users will still be able to choose other search engines if they wish. It added that the measure is part of the European Union’s strategy to reduce dependence on non-European digital tools and promote Europe-based digital services.

More than 10,000 people work in the European Parliament, including about 8,400 staff members and 2,000 parliamentary assistants, alongside 720 Members of the European Parliament.

Qwant, founded in France in 2013, is known as a European search engine that does not track user data or use personal information for advertising purposes.

Meanwhile, the European Commission recently presented a new plan aimed at reducing external dependence in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and open-source technologies.

Photo: Wikipedia