Google Abandoned: European Government Rejects US Technology

Google’s dominance as the world’s leading search engine is beginning to wane. With the explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, numerous AI-based search engines have emerged to challenge its position. Furthermore, the European Union’s aggressive crackdown on monopoly practices through the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) is further pressuring Google’s market position. These regulations aim to foster a healthy competitive climate to ensure users receive the best possible services.

The European Union’s anti-monopoly measures appear to be serious. Starting Thursday (4/6) local time, the European Parliament will replace Google, its long-standing default search engine, with Qwant, a search engine developed in France. According to internal communications obtained by Politico, all computers within the European Parliament environment will use Qwant by default.

“Starting 4 June 2026, Qwant will replace Google as the default search engine on European Parliament computers. This aligns with the Parliament’s commitment to digital sovereignty and the protection of personal data,” officials stated in an email to members of parliament.

This transition occurs as Brussels intensifies its drive for “technological sovereignty.” The European Commission is set to launch a long-awaited technological sovereignty package on Wednesday (3/6) local time, aimed at reducing dependence on foreign technology providers and promoting European alternatives. The email describes Qwant as a “privacy-focused European search engine” designed to avoid user tracking and the collection of personal data. Founded in 2013, Qwant markets itself as a privacy-centric alternative to Google.

Searches conducted via the address bar in Firefox and Edge browsers will be automatically redirected through Qwant, although members of parliament remain free to use competing search engines or change their default settings. This move follows months of pressure from MEPs to reduce the reliance of EU institutions on US-made technology. In a letter to Parliament President Roberta Metsola last November, a cross-party group of 38 members urged the institution to gradually phase out Microsoft software and other foreign technologies, arguing that Europe’s dependence on a handful of US tech giants has become a strategic vulnerability. Neither Google nor Qwant immediately responded to requests for comment.