EU PARLIAMENT DITCHES GOOGLE FOR FRENCH QWANT

The move targets Qwant, a privacy-focused French search engine, as Brussels escalates efforts to build European alternatives to dominant US tech platforms. The switch applies to Parliament's internal infrastructure and signals growing momentum behind the EU's digital independence agenda. The decision arrives amid broader regulatory pressure on Google. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority recently required Google to let publishers opt out of appearing in its AI search results, with nine months to implement the changes. Google is testing an opt-out toggle in Search Console for affected UK domain owners. Meanwhile, Google sold $10 billion in equity to Berkshire Hathaway—a move signaling intense AI demand and underscoring how capital concentration drives computational dominance in the sector. The Parliament's pivot reflects institutional skepticism toward Google's market position and data practices, aligning with the EU's regulatory philosophy favoring homegrown digital solutions over Silicon Valley reliance.