French privacy-focused search engine Qwant and German nonprofit search engine Ecosia have announced a partnership to jointly develop a European search index. This initiative aims to promote innovation in their respective search engines, particularly in the field of Generative AI (GenAI), while reducing reliance on search indices from tech giants like Microsoft (Bing) and Google.
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Currently, both Ecosia and Qwant rely on Bing's search API, with Ecosia also using Google's search results. As Microsoft has significantly increased the fees for Bing's search API, reducing dependence on these tech giants has become an urgent need. Although they will not completely stop using Bing or Google's services, they hope to diversify the core technology supporting their services through their own index, thereby reducing operating costs and providing a technical foundation for the development of GenAI technology products.
Christian Kroll, CEO of Ecosia, stated that with the advent of AI tools, the demand for search indices has changed, and Bing and Google have become increasingly cautious about sharing their indices. Therefore, developing an independent search index is crucial. Additionally, the regulatory environment in Europe encourages local technological innovation, providing a good opportunity to establish an independent search index.
The new partnership project is called "European Search Perspective," with Ecosia and Qwant each holding a 50% stake. Although the exact investment amount was not disclosed, they mentioned that existing shareholders support this plan. It is expected that this new index will begin serving French users in the first quarter of next year, with plans to expand to German users by the end of 2025, and subsequently support English and other European languages.
Qwant's engineering team will move to the new joint venture, with Olivier Abecassis, CEO of Qwant, also serving as CEO of the new company. He noted that joint development helps to expand the data pool, accelerate technological research and development, and also attract more investment. Ecosia will provide data and financial support for the development of the technology required for the search engine.
Compared to other privacy-first search engines like Brave, the EUP (European Search Perspective) search index will provide search results based on a "privacy-first" principle, without personalized recommendations based on user data. Kroll emphasized that having independent search infrastructure is particularly important for maintaining Europe's data sovereignty.
Key Points:
🌍 Ecosia and Qwant collaborate to develop an independent search index to reduce dependence on tech giants.
💡 The new index is expected to begin serving French users early in 2024, with further expansion to Germany and other languages.
🔒 The new search engine will adhere to a "privacy-first" principle, not offering personalized searches based on user data.