We spend more and more time in the digital world, which is so pervasive that it has transformed work and entire social processes. We know that the internet and everything connected to it (search engines, email services, digital stores for mobile apps) is controlled by a few companies. These companies are all American and have enormous financial power and influence. In order to use their convenient, instant, useful and, for many of us, now indispensable services, we have handed over our data and given up some of our digital freedom. Today, we access the web with an Apple smartphone or a Google Android-based device; we communicate with Google’s Gmail or Microsoft’s Outlook; we watch videos on Meta’s social media or Google’s YouTube. And the list goes on and on. 

There is nothing wrong with that, mind you because these companies have been good at providing innovative tools that have simplified our daily activities, but they are companies that rightly seek profit and, therefore, use our data for that purpose.

Over time, there have been many attempts by companies and governments to create national services that are independent of big tech or at least less invasive in terms of personal data collection and protection. One of the most recent examples is Docs, a text editor created by the French and German governments to offer an alternative to Google Docs. 

Recent history has shown that there are valid options for breaking away from American corporations, but they struggle to emerge precisely because of the popularity and widespread use of tools that have become familiar to a large section of the public, who are reluctant to change their habits. 

Looking at the landscape and searching for other solutions that prioritise user privacy, there are several European alternatives that may prove useful and effective. Focusing on search engines, we see two little-known companies with a common philosophy that puts people, not their data, at the centre. 

Ecosia

It has become known for its focus on sustainability thanks to the idea of its founder, German Christian Kroll, who wanted to combine IT with green initiatives, promising to invest a large part of its revenues in tree planting and reforestation projects around the world (by November 2024, more than 216 million trees had been planted in 35 countries). On the technical side, to satisfy the approximately 20 million users who use it, Ecosia relies on the results provided by Bing (Microsoft’s search engine) and works in a similar way to Google (with which it works if the user so wishes), although it differs in one key aspect. 

User data collection is limited to what is necessary to ensure effective service, so according to the company, only IP addresses, search terms and behavioural data about the session are tracked, which are necessary to prevent bot attacks and ad fraud. Regardless of where you connect from, however, Ecosia claims that the ads users see are not personalised. 

The limited data collected is the main factor that the search engine leverages to convince users to use Ecosia, whose market share is growing (especially in Germany), although, like its other competitors, it cannot be compared to Google, which dominates the market after creating it.

Qwant

“The search engine that knows nothing about you”. They have a gift for conciseness at Qwant because a quick glance at the home page is enough to get a clear idea of what the French search engine does (and does not do). Unlike others that call themselves alternatives to Big G but then exploit Google’s work, Qwant has indexed more than 20 billion pages to build its search index, which is used by more than 6 million users. 

This is a large but not infinite base, which is why when you leave that shell, it relies on Bing or Google results (at the user’s choice), which it expands using proprietary algorithms. As for the privacy mentioned in the claim, Qwant does not know who uses the search engine, as it does not collect or sell user data, does not use cookies and guarantees total anonymity. This applies to both desktop and mobile browsing. Unlike Ecosia, therefore, no IP addresses or searches are stored, and there is no history because there are no targeted advertisements for individual users. 

As proof of its focus on all age groups and its desire to offer effective and secure in-house solutions, the French company has developed Qwant Junior, a search engine dedicated to children aged 6 to 13. Free of advertising and free of charge, it ensures privacy by not only tracking teenagers’ searches and behaviour but also by removing any content deemed inappropriate for minors.

The European search engine

An independent European search engine to break away from the stars and stripes. This is the goal of European Search Perspective (EUSP), a project born from a French-German joint venture between Ecosia and Qwant (equally owned 50/50). “We are European companies and we need to build technology that makes sure no third-party decision could jeopardise our business. It is nothing against the U.S. or U.S. companies. It is all about the sovereignty of our business and companies,” said Olivier Abecassis, CEO of Qwant, explaining the reasons behind the decision. The two companies intend to launch the European search engine by the end of 2025, offering improved results in French and German during the first phase.