In 2025, over 90% of all search queries in Europe still go through a handful of US tech companies. They control access to information, collect massive amounts of data, and decide what is visible to whom on the internet!
Why this dependence? The answer is as simple as it is frightening: Until now, Europe has had no real alternatives. We are changing that!
The goal: genuine alternatives to Google & Co. that are transparent, protect data, and serve us all.
Your donation directly to our donation account or via PayPal will help us greatly!
Donation account:
Kreissparkasse
München Starnberg Ebersberg
IBAN DE33 7025 0150 0029 1295 25
BIC BYLADEM1KMS
PayPal:
You can donate directly via PayPal using the button below.
The work of the Open Search Foundation has been largely funded by German and European grant programs. Over the past three years, we have played a key role in launching the first open European web index as a pilot project. A real milestone. However, EU funding will be exhausted at the end of February 2026. A larger follow-up project is not expected to start until winter 2026/27.
We now need €100,000 to keep two key positions. Every donation counts!
To give you a sense of how your donations benefit our daily work, here are a few examples:
50€
enables the printing of informational materials for students and teachers.
200€
enables the production of campaign materials for nationwide action days such as #FreeWebSearch Day.
500€
ensures one month of community platform support.
1000€
allows us to travel to Brussels and engage in dialogue with representatives of the EU Commission and Members of the European Parliament.
Digital sovereignty is not just a social issue – it is a competitive advantage. Companies that rely on independent, European infrastructures secure control over their data and strengthen their position in the long term.
As a partner of the Open Search Foundation, you demonstrate responsibility and invest in Europe’s digital future. We offer:
Why does web search concern us all?
The importance of the internet and the digital sphere as a whole has increased massively in recent years. Hardly any part of our lives can do without digital elements. Free, open, and unbiased orientation in the digital world, just as in the physical world, is a prerequisite for the free development of personality, knowledge, the economy, and much more.
Power asymmetries and lack of diversity
Approximately 94 percent of all search queries in Europe are made via Google. Such power in the hands of one company is considered to distort competition and poses a risk of abuse and manipulation. The more users a search engine has, the greater its influence on the results. Europe’s dependence on a search engine monopoly also poses a social and political risk. After all, the economy, education, research, and culture need diversity to thrive— including diversity in the digital space.
Lack of transparency and algorithmic distortions
When it comes to digital searches, we currently rely on individual network monopolies that do not allow us any insight into their search algorithms and data pools. This opens the door to intentional or unintentional manipulation and abuse. In addition, there are concerns about discriminatory effects and algorithmic bias [1] and criticism of search engines’ auto-suggest functions [2], whose impact is amplified by market power.
[1] See for example: Noble, S. U. (2018). Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. New York, USA: New York University Press.
[2] Among others in Graham, Rosie (2023). The ethical dimensions of Google autocomplete. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20539517231156518
What is this OWI and why should I donate to it?
Data is the most important raw material in the information age.
The Open Web Index (OWI) is a huge database that contains a well-structured copy of the internet. Search engines and AI services access this index to provide end users with information from the internet quickly and in near real time. Without an index, there is no information! While there are two indexes in the US (Google and Bing) and Russia and China each operate their own with Yandex and Baidu, Europe does not yet have a search index. This means that Europe is completely dependent on overseas service providers!
Worse still, we all pay daily, almost imperceptibly and completely unprotected, with our personal data for (commercially driven) access to information via search engines such as Google, Bing, and ChatGPT.
But aren’t there already alternatives such as DuckDuckGo and Ecosia?
Yes and no. Although the alternative search engines available to date offer greater protection for users’ privacy, they are still dependent on Google and other major players. They access their search indexes and act as privacy-protecting intermediaries. They have to pay a high price for these services. It is unclear what information the indexes reveal to them and what they withhold.
Ecosia and Qwant are in close contact with our core team. Collaborations for our own European formats are already in the idea phase. But time and resources are running out. Europe’s citizens must get on board now in order to have access to their own AI systems and trustworthy, ethical technology in the future.
Isn’t this a matter for the state?
The major search engines and the underlying web indexes are all controlled and operated outside Europe today. Access to digital information is an important strategic asset that belongs in the public domain. In this respect, it is right that an open European web index should be a matter for the state. The aim of such a project must be to create a new and open digital infrastructure on which a variety of competing services can be based, so that a diverse digital market can emerge in Europe.
However, few have such a public project on their agenda – partly because everyone is only familiar with the commercial and supposedly “free” model. Therefore, there is still a lot of work to be done to gain support at the political and governmental level. This is an important part of our work!
Will I receive a donation receipt?
A resounding yes! The Open Search Foundation e.V. is a non-profit organization. Your donation is therefore tax deductible. We are happy to issue a donation receipt for donations of €50 or more. Please provide us with your name and address in the reference field.
Do time or contributions in kind also count?
It doesn’t always have to be money: we also welcome non-material support (e.g., media support, voluntary work in working groups, networking, providing computing capacity, etc.).
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.
