In a nutshell: The European Parliament now uses Qwant instead of Google as its default search engine to increase digital independence from US-American platforms.
The European Parliament has replaced Google with the French alternative Qwant as its default search engine. The move is being presented as a measure to strengthen European digital sovereignty.
The European Parliament has switched its default search engine from Google to Qwant. Qwant is a French search engine that, according to its own understanding, focuses on data protection and independence from large US corporations.
The institution views this switch as a step towards greater digital sovereignty for Europe. In the context of the EU AI Act and ongoing debate over regulatory independence from tech corporations, Parliament is thereby signaling a preference for European alternatives and reducing technical dependence on Google’s infrastructure and data collection.
For Chief Data Officers, this switch signals political priorities: data sovereignty and independence in digital infrastructure are being taken seriously at EU level. Organizations should give similar consideration, particularly when it comes to compliance requirements and data sovereignty.
Source: www.golem.de · Published June 3, 2026
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