As concerns about data privacy mount, American tech giants are facing a global backlash. In France, the government has announced plans to ditch Google as its default search engine, instead opting to use Qwant. How is the home-grown firm ensuring security and ‘digital sovereignty’?

The GDPR rollout and Cambridge Analytica scandal have raised the public’s awareness of how their online data is used, abused, and profited from by brands. To help web users regain a sense of control over their personal info, Mozilla is helping them avoid trackers by default through Firefox.

Facebook announced it will allow French regulators to access and monitor its content moderation processes. As people are increasingly concerned about the gravity of hate speech online, a public involvement in these processes could be an interesting, yet controversial solution.

People in France are increasingly switching off from their devices in favour of reconnecting to the simpler things in life. After years of enthusiastic digital adoption, their faith in technological progress is decreasing, and they're actively focusing on mindfulness and activities that facilitate it.