French government computers are to adopt the Gallic-funded search engine Qwant as their default browser amid alleged concerns that Google insufficiently protects data privacy.

Founded in 2013, Qwant is a Franco-German encrypted search engine that functions the same way as Google but doesn’t keep logs and places a heavy emphasis on user privacy.

It is a minnow compared to the American giant, with an estimated average of 21 million monthly searches compared to Google's roughly 3.5 billion a day.

The switch to hundreds of thousands of terminals comes as Qwant’s historic chairman, Eric Leandri, is to leave the executive board but will remain shareholder and in charge of its strategic and scientific committee.

Mr Leandri had come under fire amid reports by Next INpact that Qwant delivered results dating back to 2017 in 2019. It has since fixed the issue but its reputation took a hit. Jean-Claude Ghinozzi, l'actuel current deputy director-general in charge of sales and marketing, will take over.

President Emmanuel Macron of France recently spoke about the importance of data sovereignty, saying: “If we don’t regulate the internet, we run the risk of upsetting the fundamentals of democracy.”

The decision to cut Google allegedly stems from Edward Snowden’s NSA leaks back in 2013.