Key facts
- European Parliament will switch to Qwant from Google as its default search engine.
- The switch will take effect on June 4, 2026.
- Qwant will be the default on Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox browsers used by the Parliament.
- The decision aims to reduce reliance on non-EU digital tools and promote European services.
- The European Commission will announce measures on chips, cloud computing, and AI.
The European Parliament announced it will transition from using Google as its default search engine to Qwant, a French alternative, effective June 4, 2026. This decision is a significant step in the European Union's ongoing effort to decrease its dependence on U.S. technology and foster the growth of domestic digital solutions. The change will be automatically applied to the Parliament's Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox browsers, though users will retain the option to select other search engines. A Parliament spokesperson stated that this initiative is part of a larger framework designed to minimize the use of non-EU digital tools and champion European, privacy-focused services. The Parliament, which comprises 720 lawmakers along with thousands of staff, will implement this change as the European Commission prepares to unveil new measures concerning chips, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence as part of its 'Buy and Use European' initiative.