Ecosia and Qwant, two search engines vying to compete with Google, announced a partnership on Tuesday to create a European search index aimed at reducing reliance on U.S. Big Tech.
The collaboration has resulted in a joint venture called the European Search Perspective (EUSP), with ownership equally shared between Ecosia and Qwant. The initiative is set to launch in France in early 2025, focusing on delivering improved search results in French and German.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
Audrey Hepburn
Berlin-based Ecosia and Paris-headquartered Qwant bring distinct missions to the table. Qwant, a privacy-centric search engine, pledges not to track users or sell their personal data.
Ecosia, on the other hand, focuses on sustainability, committing to planting one tree for every 50 searches conducted on its platform.
Breaking Google’s Dominance
Search infrastructure, the backbone of internet access, is predominantly controlled by Google, which commands over 90% of the global search market.
Even alternative search engines like Ecosia and Qwant currently depend on technologies from companies such as Microsoft to provide search results.
Christian Kroll, CEO of Ecosia, credits the European Union’s new competition regulations for enabling this ambitious project.
The Digital Markets Act (DMA), enacted earlier this year, requires Big Tech “gatekeepers” to offer fair access to their platforms. For Google, this includes sharing data that can help train alternative search models.
Why a European Search Index?
To date, alternative search engines such as Ecosia, Qwant, and DuckDuckGo have not built their own back-end infrastructures. The new joint venture will create a search index from the ground up, pulling results from a blend of different engines. Ecosia, for instance, currently combines results from Google and Bing.
Ecosia and Qwant intend to make their new search index “privacy-first,” incorporating redesigned technologies from Qwant that debuted in 2023. While both companies will utilize the index themselves, it will also be available to other independent search engines and tech firms.
This launch comes amid rising costs for alternative search providers. Microsoft, for example, has increased prices for access to its Bing Search API, which allows developers to use its back-end infrastructure.
“As European companies, we need to ensure our technology is not jeopardized by third-party decisions,” said Olivier Abecassis, CEO of Qwant, who will also lead the new venture. “This is not about opposing U.S. companies but about safeguarding the sovereignty of our businesses.”
Abecassis emphasized the importance of reducing Europe’s dependence on U.S. technology, a sentiment echoed by Ecosia’s Kroll. Kroll highlighted how geopolitical disruptions, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict’s impact on European energy supplies, illustrate the risks of over-reliance on a single country for critical resources.
Pioneering AI-Driven Search
A key focus of the new search index will be building a transparent and secure data pool for the next generation of AI technologies. According to Kroll, the shift toward generative AI is pushing search providers to tighten control over their data.
“Search providers understand that their index is a vital resource for this paradigm shift,” Kroll said. “While large language models are essential for AI-driven chatbots, they require access to a robust search index to function effectively.”
The rise of OpenAI’s ChatGPT has intensified competition in the search industry, as users increasingly turn to AI-powered chatbots for information. New players like Perplexity have also entered the market, offering generative AI alternatives to Google’s search engine.
In response, Google has launched its own generative AI-enhanced search tools, integrating its Gemini large language model into search results. This move underscores the ongoing battle for dominance in the evolving AI-driven search landscape.
A Step Toward European Independence
By building their own search infrastructure, Ecosia and Qwant aim to provide European users with a privacy-focused, locally driven alternative to Big Tech’s offerings.
The partnership signals a step forward in Europe’s efforts to establish greater technological autonomy, positioning EUSP as a key player in the search market’s future.