The European Parliament plans to switch its default search engine from Google to French firm Qwant, in a move aimed at strengthening digital sovereignty and addressing privacy concerns, Politico reported on Tuesday.

The European Parliament will replace Google with the French search engine as the default tool on in-house computers starting Thursday, Politico reported, citing an internal communication.

Officials told lawmakers in an email that the change is being made in line with the Parliament’s commitment to digital sovereignty and the protection of users’ personal data.

The email reportedly described Qwant as a “privacy-focused European search engine” that does not track users or collect personal data.

Searches made via the address bar in Firefox and Edge will automatically be directed through Qwant, while lawmakers will still be able to use competing search engines or adjust their default settings. (AA)