On June 4, 2026, the European Parliament switched its default search engine from Google to France-based Qwant across Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox browsers. The change affects 720 lawmakers and thousands of staff members, marking a visible step in the EU’s effort to reduce reliance on U.S. technology and promote European digital sovereignty, according to medianama.com.
The switch to Qwant, a privacy-focused search engine that does not track users or sell their data, will be applied automatically but allows users to select other search engines if desired. A Parliament spokesperson described the move as part of a broader framework aimed at decreasing dependence on non-EU digital tools while supporting privacy-centered European services, medianama.com reported.
This transition aligns with the European Commission’s introduction of a comprehensive tech package on June 3, 2026, targeting chips, cloud computing, and AI under the “Buy and Use European” initiative. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the goal of strengthening the EU’s digital autonomy, making the Parliament’s switch a symbolic yet significant institutional act within the bloc’s escalating digital sovereignty push, medianama.com noted.
The European Parliament’s adoption of Qwant as the default search engine coincides with the Commission’s broader digital policy measures announced on June 3, 2026, reinforcing the EU’s commitment to technological independence.