The European Parliament will switch its default search engine. It will move from Google to French-based Qwant. This change takes effect on June 4, 2026.
The change applies to Firefox and Edge browsers. These browsers operate on the institution's computers. This initiative aims for "digital sovereignty." It also seeks to reduce reliance on U.S. technology companies.
Qwant operates as a privacy-focused European alternative. It does not track users. It also does not collect personal data.
Lawmakers and staff can manually revert to Google. This move represents a symbolic victory for European tech providers.
The decision aligns with the European Commission's tech sovereignty package. This package aims to boost the bloc's digital infrastructure.