Faced with the overwhelming domination of Google, the European search engines and metasearch engines Qwant and Ecosia have decided to join forces to create an independent index. This initiative, embodied by the European Search Perspective joint venture, marks a turning point in Europe’s quest for digital sovereignty.
What to remember:
- Qwant and Ecosia are launching a joint project whose objective is to create a new European search index by 2025, independent of the American giants.
- They want to reduce dependence on Bing (Microsoft) and Google APIs, while offering a privacy-friendly alternative.
- The initiative benefits from the framework of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which imposes greater accessibility of data to European players.
- The index will be made available via an API, allowing other European engines to access it.
A strategic alliance for a new European search index
On November 12, the search engines Qwant (France) and Ecosia (Germany) formalized the creation of their joint venture: European Search Perspective (EUSP). This partnership aims to develop an independent search index, in order to offer a solid alternative to solutions dominated by Google and Microsoft. By joining forces, the two companies hope to offer a European response to growing concerns about digital sovereignty.
According to Christian Kroll, the CEO of Ecosia, “this turning point will make the market more competitive, more diversified, with technology developed by the best alternative search engines in Europe”.
The initiative marks a turning point for Qwant and Ecosia, which currently rely on Bing’s API to deliver their search results. By freeing themselves from this dependence, the two partners seek to guarantee greater autonomy and to develop services more in line with their respective values: respect for privacy for Qwant and ecological commitment for Ecosia.
Issues of digital sovereignty and technological independence
Currently, Qwant and Ecosia rely largely on solutions from Bing and Google to generate their search results. This situation poses several problems: on the one hand, a technical dependence which limits their ability to personalize the results; on the other hand, high costs for using APIs. In 2023, Microsoft has tripled Bing access priceswhich made access difficult for alternative search engines.
With the EUSP joint venture, Qwant and Ecosia aim to reduce their dependence and offer their own index, thus offering better control of the results and increased control over their data.
The new index should be available from 2025 for French- and German-speaking users, with an extension planned to other European languages subsequently.
“The mission is clear: to develop democratic and sovereign technology in Europe at a time when Generative AI will profoundly redefine the online search experience.“, says Olivier Abecassis, CEO of Qwant and EUSP.
An initiative supported by the DMA
The European regulatory framework is favorable to this type of initiative, particularly with the entry into force of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This legislation requires digital giants, like Google, to make their ecosystem more open and accessible to competitors. The DMA also requires that users be able to choose their default search engine, reducing barriers imposed by large American companies.
This regulation could facilitate the implementation of EUSP by allowing European search engines to benefit from better access to data and a fairer competitive environment. For Qwant and Ecosia, this represents a unique opportunity to strengthen their visibility and capture a greater market share in Europe.
Shared values: privacy and ecological commitment
Qwant and Ecosia each bring their distinct expertise and values to this alliance. Qwant stands out for its privacy policy, without collecting user data. Ecosia, for its part, focuses on the environmental aspect: its profits are used to finance reforestation projects around the world.
By joining forces, the two companies hope to offer a more ethical alternative and aligned with the growing expectations of European users for responsible and respectful research. The index will also be accessible via an API, opening the door to other European players wishing to offer independent search results.
“We are proud to build a European search index and delighted to mark the second step in our progress towards total technological autonomy and independence. The extent of our climate impact will always depend on the quality of our search engine, which is why the development of innovative technologies is essential for the planet. This ambitious project will also require the support of regulators and governments.“, says Christian Kroll.
A long-term ambition in the face of Google’s domination
Despite the almost total domination of Google, which holds more than 90% of the search market in Europe, Qwant and Ecosia display their ambition to shake up the status quo. This new collaboration could also be a lever to attract external investors and strengthen their position on the market. The two companies intend to raise funds to support the development of their index and to promote a credible alternative to the American giants.
Auteur : Mathilde Grattepanche. Certified by: Laura Blanchard.
With her sharp pen and her expertise in web writing, Mathilde acquired solid experience before joining the team as editorial manager of Abondance. When she is on the keyboard, responsiveness and quality are always there!
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Laura Blanchard
Associate Abondance
Always ready to share her knowledge during captivating conferences, Laura uses words like no other. His contagious smile, his ease and his experience are real strengths for Abondance’s communication and marketing strategy.
