The internet was once a free place for discovery, learning and research. But today, a handful of tech companies control access to knowledge on the web – even here in Europe. Their opaque algorithms determine what we find online – and what we don’t. That’s exactly what we’re changing!
Our mission: As a non-profit organisation, we are committed to open, transparent and public-interest-oriented web search.
A web search that serves people again – instead of the commercial interests of a few. We create the conditions for this on a technical, legal and ethical level. Humanistic, European values guide us in our work.
What exactly is it all about?
Today, commercially driven companies control the infrastructure of the web through opaque algorithms. Where the pursuit of profit and power interests prevail, our democracy is at risk. We believe that the infrastructure should follow open standards. An essential building block is the web index, the heart of AI chatbots and classic search engines. All web data is sorted and categorised in the web index. The USA has the Google and Bing indices; Russia and China each operate their own. Europe does not yet have a web index. But the first steps have been taken. We have:
In doing so, we are making a decisive contribution to Europe’s digital sovereignty. And we are convinced that this will enable the internet to once again become the free space it once was:
a place that allows for diverse perspectives and promotes democracy.
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We would like to emphasise that we are ourselves victims in this matter and have no connection whatsoever with the individuals or institutions involved.
The Open Search Foundation connects experts in six specialist groups: Applications, Tech, Education + Literacy, Economy, Ethics and Legal.
With projects ranging from #EthicsInSearch to the Horizon Europe project OpenWebSearch.eu to PriDi, we are working with partners to drive forward the development of the open web index. The third pillar and a very strong driver of open web search is the #OpenWebSearch community, which is promoting and advancing the topic.
Learn more about search engines, privacy, network monopolies and data abuse. The Open-Search-Blog provides you with a great starting point. It’s where we present sources, specialist info and links to articles. Several times a year, the osf newsletter also provides an overview of the activities of the Open Search Initiative.
Make others aware of the issue. Spread the message to friends. Ask politicians to address the issue and strengthen the Open Search movement.
The Open Search Foundation e.V. is a European movement of people and organisations that work together to create the foundation for independent, free and self-determined access to information on the Internet. In cooperation with research institutions, computer centres and other partners, we’re committed to a searching the web in a way that benefits everyone. The promotion of research in the field of search engines, plus education and cooperation, form the pillars of our work.
