European Parliament Ditches Google Chrome for New Search Engine

The European Parliament is set to transition its default search engine from Google Chrome to Qwant, a European-based alternative. This significant shift, effective June 4, is part of a broader European Union strategy aimed at decreasing dependence on digital tools originating outside Europe and fostering the growth of homegrown digital services.

While the change will be applied automatically across the Parliament's systems, users will retain the option to select different search engines if they prefer. The European Parliament employs over 10,000 individuals, including 720 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), approximately 8,400 civil servants, and 2,000 parliamentary assistants.

Qwant, established in France in 2013, distinguishes itself through its commitment to user privacy. Unlike many other search engines, Qwant does not track user data for advertising purposes, positioning itself as a privacy-conscious European digital service. This move by the European Parliament aligns with recent initiatives from the EU Commission, which unveiled plans to reduce external dependency in critical technology sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and open-source technologies.