Ecosia and Qwant: Pioneering the European Search Revolution

European search engines Ecosia and Qwant have joined forces to challenge U.S. tech giants, creating a new search index, the European Search Perspective (EUSP). This move aims to provide more sustainable and user-controlled search alternatives, amid growing EU and U.S. scrutiny on tech monopolies.

In a significant move to disrupt the monopoly of U.S. tech giants in the search engine realm, Germany's Ecosia and France's Qwant have collaborated to develop the European Search Perspective (EUSP) – an innovative search index. Announced in late 2024, EUSP is set to offer greater control for European companies over search results, thereby promoting sustainable consumption choices.

This initiative has gained momentum with recent U.S. and European orders challenging the dominance of firms like Google and Microsoft. Legal actions have spotlighted antitrust issues, paving the way for the EUSP project as an alternative to Google's nearly 90% market share.

Aside from fostering search sovereignty, the EUSP is taking strides towards environmental responsibility by incorporating AI tools for more eco-friendly search recommendations. But, the development of such AI technologies raises concerns over energy consumption, necessitating further transparency from tech companies on their carbon footprints.

(With inputs from agencies.)