„Google owns the queries, but Europe wants its search infrastructure back“ I EU Perspectives

The online magazine European Perspectives recently interviewed our OSF board member, Dr. Stefan Voigt, about the OpenWebSearch.eu initiative.

According to the magazine, based on the latest data, nearly nine out of ten internet searches queries from Europe are processed by U.S. technology companies such as Google and Microsoft. This heavy reliance on overseas infrastructure is also due to the lack of European alternatives.

To address this, the OpenWebSearch.eu initiative funded by the Horizon Europe project of the same name has developed an OpenWebIndex. This webindex is a crucial step toward reclaiming sovereign access to indexing and accessing online information. Dr. Stefan Voigt, board member of the OpenSearchFoundation and OWS spokesperson, highlights the project’s urgency and significance for Europe’s digital future.

“The web is meant to be a public thing. We want to relate it back to the public”, he states, emphasizing the need for Europe to secure its digital autonomy.

You can read the full article here: https://euperspectives.eu/2025/11/is-open-search-the-path-to-european-digital-sovereignity/