EU Parliament makes Qwant default search on its PCs

The European Parliament will replace Google with the French search engine Qwant as the default search tool on its official computers starting June 4. The change, affecting searches from the address bars of Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox browsers on parliamentary devices, is described by officials as a measure to strengthen digital sovereignty and data privacy. Users will retain the option to manually select other search engines.

This administrative shift coincides with the European Commission’s formal unveiling of a comprehensive European Technological Sovereignty Package on June 3. The legislative bundle is designed to reduce the European Union's reliance on foreign suppliers in key digital sectors, including cloud computing, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that Europe cannot afford to depend on others for the technologies that support critical infrastructure, healthcare systems, and public services.

The package includes the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act, a revised Chips Act 2.0, an Open Source Strategy, and a roadmap for digitalizing the energy sector. A central focus is the cloud computing market, where...