Europe prepares trial for Open Web Index to reduce reliance on Google and Bing

Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years.TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust In context: As Google users complain about the worsening quality of search results and GenAI integration, European organizations are working to plant the seeds of alternative solutions. One such initiative aims to build a public index to support new search engines and reduce Europe's reliance on Google and Bing. Early trials of the Open Web Index are set to begin next month. This emerging project could help European countries move away from dominant, ad-driven search engines. As US tech giants increasingly optimize search around generative AI and advertising, the OpenWebSearch.eu initiative seeks to foster nonprofit alternatives. The Open Web Index itself is not a search engine. Rather, it functions like a digital library from which search engines can retrieve files and web pages. Major search providers rely on proprietary indexes, while smaller engines are often dependent on them. Accor ... Read full article.