The Open Search Foundation launched the Ethics in Search project in July. Funded by the Mercator Foundation, it aims to set ethical standards for transparent and fair web search and at the same time develop alternatives to the prevailing monoculture in the search engine market.
Over the next two and a half years, values-based principles for open internet search will be researched and developed in close cooperation with the Ethics Group of the Open Search Foundation.
The project results will form the value-orientated basis for a future open European search index. ‘With the #EthicsInSearch project, we want to develop the ethical foundations for an open internet search,’ explains co-project manager Christine Plote. ‘We will be researching the ethical issues raised by internet search and search engines. We will also develop recommendations for action for various stakeholders. In particular, developers of an open web index and those who will use it will receive practical guidelines.’
The results of the project will also be used as a basis for important public awareness-raising work.
Founded in 2018, the non-profit Open Search Foundation is committed to open and transparent internet search and the creation of an open web index. More information on the website www.opensearchfoundation.org
Why ethics are important in internet search
We take the daily use of search engines for granted, but the associated risks are often overlooked. These include tracking, discrimination and non-transparent algorithms. It is not only in Germany that web search is dominated by one provider: With a market share of over 90 per cent, Google directs the majority of digital orientation in Germany and many other countries.
Christine Plote, founding member of the OSF and co-leader of the #EthicsInSearch project, explains:
“Values such as transparency, privacy and justice currently play virtually no role in internet searches. However, ethics must not be a mere nice-to-have, but must become a central component of every search engine.”
Diversity and independence as democratic values
The #EthicsInSearch project aims to strengthen democratic values such as diversity of information and pluralism of opinion in the digital world.
Carla Hustedt, Head of the ‘Digitalised Society’ department at Stiftung Mercator, which is funding the project, emphasises: “Free and independent navigation in the digital space is essential in order to uphold democratic values such as diversity of information and pluralism of opinion. Although we all use search engines every day, the discussion about the ethical issues surrounding web search is still in its infancy. That is why we support the work of the Open Search Foundation on scientific analyses, technical solutions and guidelines for more openness and diversity in internet search.”
A European search index as a vision
At the centre of the Open Search Foundation’s work is the vision of an open European search index that will serve as a basis for alternative search engines and other services. The #EthicsInSearch project aims to create the ethical framework for this open web index. In addition to identifying problems, the team is developing concrete solutions and inviting discussion on questions such as:
- What are ethical no-gos for search engines?
- Who decides which rules apply?
- How can ethical standards be anchored in the long term?
For a fairer digital future
Web search influence how we find information and form opinions. The #EthicsInSearch project is committed to making these processes more ethical and transparent – an important step towards value-based digitalisation in Europe.
Project information at:
media@opensearchfoundation.org
+49 8151 9719372
www.ethicsinsearch.org
The project #ethicsinsearch – Ethics of Internet Search by the Open Search Foundation e.V. is funded by Stiftung Mercator.
———–
About Stiftung Mercator
Stiftung Mercator is a private, independent foundation that acts on the basis of scientific expertise and practical project experience. Through its work, it strives to create a society characterised by openness to the world, solidarity and equal opportunities. In order to achieve these goals, it promotes and develops projects that improve opportunities for participation and cohesion in an increasingly diverse society. Through its work, Stiftung Mercator aims to strengthen democracy and the rule of law in Europe, address the impact of digitalisation on democracy and society and promote climate protection.Stiftung Mercator is active in Germany, Europe and worldwide. It feels particularly close to the Ruhr region, the home of the founding family and the foundation’s headquarters.
www.stiftung-mercator.de
About the Open Search Foundation e.V.
The OSF – Open Search Foundation e.V. – is a non-profit European initiative. Since 2018, it has been campaigning for fair and transparent alternatives to standard search engines and informing the public about all aspects of internet search. Its goal is an open search index that takes ethics and European values into account from the outset.
www.opensearchfoundation.org
SEASON 2025: Conference on search engines and society in September 2025
EventsThe Search Engines and Society Network (SEASON) invites to the network’s first conference, taking place on 24 and 25 September 2025 at the University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg) in Hamburg.
Following successful workshops organised by the network in Lund, Vienna, Hamburg and Birmingham, the format is now being expanded into a conference: the annual SEASON will examine the role of search engines from a social, cultural and technical perspective.
Researchers from various disciplines are invited to submit papers, panels, workshops, posters or short presentations and take part in interdisciplinary discussions. The range of possible topics is very broad. The conference is also explicitly aimed at students and experts from outside academia who would like to share their research and practical perspectives.
Further information can be found at: SEASON 2025
Review: #EthicsInSearch at the 6th Open Search Symposium #ossym24
EventsAt the sixth edition of the international Open Search Symposium #ossym24, the Open Search Foundation once again organised a dedicated session on the topic of ethics in Internet search with contributions from the field, current research topics and discussions.
Learning from Wikimedia
Nina Leseberg, Head of Communities & Engagement at Wikimedia Deutschland spoke in her keynote ‘Digital discourse: How the Wikipedia community ensures the quality of the digital encyclopaedia’ about the complex topic of community-based curation of content and gave insights into the practice of Wikipedia.
Nina Leseberg during her presentation on the community nature of Wikipedia
‘Exploring the ethical foundations of web search – perspectives and insights from research and practice’ – The OSF Ethics expert group presents its current work results
The expert panel of the OSF working group Ethics gave the audience insights into the work of recent years: Christine Plote, moderator of the expert group and OSF board member, Noor Afshan Fathima (CERN), Alexander Nussbaumer (TU Graz) and Renée Ridgway (University of Aarhus/SHAPE Centre, Denmark) reported on and discussed the experiences and results of defining ethical guidelines for open web search. The team presented the development of a catalogue of values, the assessment of ethical risks and their mitigation as well as a self-assessment for users of the Open Web Index. The idea of integrating ‘ethical labels’ into applications based on the Open Web Index, which Alexander Nussbauer presented, was also interesting.
Noor Afshan Fathima (CERN) and OSF board member Christine Plote at the panel discussion ‘Exploring the ethical foundations of web search – perspectives and insights from research and practice’
Insights into new research work
Rik Viergever (Murena) presented what makes an ethical smartphone operating system and what role open source, open data and open standards play in this. Alex de Vries (Digiconomist) explained how AI is driving up the environmental costs of internet searches. Renée Ridgway, researcher at the University of Aarhus and member of the osf #EthicsInSearch group, presented her research on the values and ethics of open search infrastructure under the title ‘From Free Software to Open Source: Traversing the Valued and Ethics of Open Search Infrastructure’.
Finally, three young researchers presented new concepts for making internet search more ethical:
Daphne Auer from the Common Grounds Forum and Friedrich Schiller University Jena presented her concepts for ‘User-Driven Re-Ranking for an Adaption of the Variety in Search Results’.
Felice Douglas and Susanne Krol, both from the Stuttgart Media University, picked up on Nina Leseberg’s keynote andshared their ideas for creative ‘Curation Strategies for OpenWebSearch’.
Further information
Articles and short abstracts of the presentations by Renee Ridway (‘From Free Software to Open Source: Traversing the Valued and Ethics of Open Search Infrastructure’) and Daphne Auer (‘User-driven Re-ranking for Adapting the Veriety in Search Results’) are included in the conference proceedings.
A summary of all three days can be found on the website of the Open Search Foundation:
opensearchfoundation.org/ossym24-review
The conference proceedings can be downloaded free of charge from the conference partner CERN:
e-publishing.cern.ch/index.php/OSSYM/issue/view/172/140
Call for Papers and Talks for the 6th Open Search Symposium #ossym24 launched
EventsResearchers, experts and practitioners have until 1 March 2024 to submit scientific papers, practical experience reports and software demonstrations for the 6th International Open Search Symposium #ossym2024. The hybrid conference will take place online and at the LRZ, Munich, from 9 to 11 October 2024.
All contributions on the topic of Open Search are welcome, explicitly not only technical, but also those dealing with social, legal and ethical aspects of Internet search.
Full papers and abstracts presented at #ossym2024 will be published open access in an online proceedings (including DOIs and ISBN) following the event.
Social and ethical topics at the Open Search Symposium #ossym23 – Review published
ResourcesAt the international Open Search Symposium 2023 from 4 to 6 October, researchers, tech experts and representatives from politics and industry discussed the foundations of human-centric, transparent and open internet search. Once again this year, there were a large number of presentations on social and ethical aspects of internet search: from global perspectives and cognitive biases to fundamental philosophical questions, many facets were highlighted. Particular emphasis was placed on the need for interdisciplinary collaboration in order to shape a fairer and human-centred digital future.
Here are the highlights (a full summary of all three conference days can be found here):
1 Keynote by Angella Ndaka: ‘Inclusion by whose terms?’
Angella Ndaka from the Centre for Africa Epistemic Justice opened the discussion with a critical look at the impact of technology-driven companies on African societies. She presented the ‘Ubuntu’ principle as a counter-model to algorithmic paternalism and highlighted the danger of how algorithms jeopardise democratic structures and reinforce social inequality. – A wake-up call for a global change of perspective.
2 Cognitive distortions in web search
A team from Graz University of Technology presented their study on the role of cognitive biases in internet searches: even neutral search results can be dominated by preconceived opinions. The researchers demonstrated a solution for analysing search behaviour in order to make users aware of unconscious biases and minimise them.
3 Philosophical and sociological perspectives
Manuel Theophil from the Rhineland-Palatinate University of Technology shed light on the role of human rights and ethical principles in internet searches. He discussed how concepts such as ‘freedom’ and ‘openness’ need to be rethought in the context of search engines in order to promote democratic processes.
4 Bias in search and recommendation systems
In his keynote speech, Ricardo Baeza-Yates, Director of the Institute of Experiential AI at Northeastern University in the USA, showed the different types of biases that arise from algorithms and user interactions. He called for multidisciplinary approaches to break through filter bubbles and reduce biases at all levels of data processing.
5 Workshop on the practical handling of ethical aspects of internet search
Members of the #EhticsInSearch specialist group of the Open Search Foundation introduced participants to ethical aspects of web search in a practice-orientated workshop entitled ‘Dystopia vs Utopia’ and showed how developers can deal with them in everyday life.
6 Alternative search engines introduce themselves: Mojeek, fragFinn.de and Marginalia Search
One of the core concerns of the Open Search Foundation is to promote alternatives to the major search engines. For this reason, a forum has been held at #ossym for several years now, where alternative search engines can present themselves to the conference audience. This year, Colin Hayhurst presented the independent British search engine Mojeek, Anke Meinders the non-profit children’s search engine fragFinn.de and Viktor Löfgen Marginalia Search, a small, specialised search engine that enables users to find small, high-quality websites that are not considered relevant enough by the commercial search engines and are therefore not displayed in search results.
You can read a detailed summary of the three conference days on the Open Search Foundation website:
Day 1 #ossym2023
Day 2 #ossym2023
Day 3 #ossam2023
The conference proceedings are available to download free of charge:
e-publishing.cern.ch/index.php/OSSYM/issue/view/164/135
#FWSD23: Ethics in Search – A webinar about ethical aspects of web search and search engines
EventsAs part of #FreeWebSearch Day 2023, Christine Plote and Jasmin Tietgen from the Open Search Foundation e.V. will be hosting a webinar that will examine the ethical challenges associated with web search and provide guidance on enhancing safety and ethical practices in searching.
Date + Time:
29 September, 16.30-17.30 CEST
Location:
Online (Webinar)
For whom?
All
Organiser:
Open Search Foundation e. V.
Registration:
Send an e-mail (if you like, also informal and anonymous) with the keyword “Webinar Websearch Ethics” to event@freewebsearch.org
#FreeWebSearch Day is an annual day of action to promote free, open and transparent internet search. Every year on and around 29 September, events and activities take place to inform, inspire reflection and show how we can search better, safer, more trustworthy on the internet. More information at freewebsearchday.org
Registration:Send an e-mail (if you like, also informal and anonymous) with the keyword “Webinar Websearch Ethics” to event@freewebsearch.org. You will then be sent the access data before the event. The webinar will take place on the video conference platform “Big Blue Button”.
#FreeWebSearch Day: Advocating for Transparent and Open Internet Search
EventsOpen access to online content is a prerequisite for freedom of information and democracy. #FreeWebSearch Day on 29 September is drawing attention to this worldwide. With campaigns and events, the day of action will highlight the importance of an open and fair web search and call for worldwide participation and commitment.
A Global Call for Transparent Search
The Open Search Foundation (OSF), based in Starnberg, has initiated this international awareness day to promote a free and transparent web search ecosystem. #FreeWebSearch Day unites all people wishing to stand up for free web search. Its main target is to support an open and transparent internet search. The action day will highlight the strong influence internet search has on all of us – and why its freedom and transparency are key to our democracies”, says Christine Plote, co-founder and member of the board of the OSF.
To support this initiative, OSF is inviting companies, schools, universities, and civil society organisations to contribute through various events, discussions, and activities centered around open internet search.
Much power, little transparency
The dominant presence of tech giants such as Alphabet (Google), Microsoft, Yandex, and Baidu raises concerns about the control they exert over the digital information landscape. Approximately 90% of global internet users rely on Google for their searches (source: gs.Statcounter.com), yet these companies operate with minimal transparency regarding their search indexes and ranking algorithms. This lack of disclosure impacts what information users encounter, thereby shaping public perception and decision-making processes.
Beyond influencing search results, these major platforms also collect and utilise user data for advertising purposes. Users remain largely unaware of the extent of data collection, storage, and commercialisation involved. The #FreeWebSearch Day aims to educate the public on these practices and advocate for alternatives that prioritise privacy and openness.
Integrating Search Literacy into Education
A core objective of #FreeWebSearch Day is to foster search literacy. Many internet users assume that the top search results are the most relevant and trustworthy, despite lacking knowledge of the ranking mechanisms behind them. As Christine Plote emphasises, “Freedom of information is the foundation of a functioning democracy. Yet, awareness of how search algorithms operate remains alarmingly low.” To address this gap, OSF calls for integrating search literacy into educational curricula at schools and universities. Teaching how search engines rank information, interpret images, and utilise artificial intelligence is crucial in an era increasingly driven by AI-powered search technologies and large language models (LLMs).
Get Involved: Events, Hackathons, and More
The #FreeWebSearch Day provides an opportunity for diverse groups to contribute in various ways:
Building an Open Web Index
A major ongoing effort by OSF is the creation of an open and transparent web index. This initiative, supported by scientific computing centers and researchers across Europe, aims to provide an ethical and user-centric alternative to corporate-controlled search engines. “A sustainable web search must respect user privacy while offering fair and unbiased access to online content,” states Plote. An open web index would serve as a foundation for new digital services, ensuring diversity and neutrality in information retrieval.
Join the Movement
To stay informed and participate in the #FreeWebSearch Day, visit www.FreeWebSearch.org for the latest updates and event listings.
About the Open Search Foundation
The Open Search Foundation e.V. (OSF) is a European non-profit initiative dedicated to fostering fair and transparent alternatives to mainstream search engines. Since its founding in 2018, OSF has been working toward an open search index that prioritises ethics and European values. Learn more at www.opensearchfoundation.org.
Working Group Ethics meet-up in Berlin – all about values
Nicht kategorisiertHow can ethically responsible internet searches be organised? This question was at the centre of the three-day specialist group workshop in Berlin.
At the beginning of August, members of the OSF’ Ethics Expert Group from Germany, Austria, the UK, Denmark and Switzerland met in person for the first time in Berlin to take an in-depth look at the ethical aspects of internet searches. The Mercator Foundation, which supports the #EthicsInSearch project, provided a room with a view of Hackescher Markt, offering ideal conditions for direct dialogue.
For three days, one thing above all was on the agenda: asking questions, collecting perspectives, defining values.Which ethical principles are decisive for internet searches? In which process steps do they play a role? Which stakeholder groups are affected, and how? Particular attention was paid to the mechanisms of internet search and the development of an open web index.
The meeting was not only a success from a professional point of view, but also from an interpersonal point of view: the participants, who had previously only known each other online, worked together creatively and with commitment. Many thanks to all those who made the long journey!
New Project #EthicsInSearch launched. The aim: to lay the foundations for a value-orientated internet search
Nicht kategorisiertThe Open Search Foundation launched the Ethics in Search project in July. Funded by the Mercator Foundation, it aims to set ethical standards for transparent and fair web search and at the same time develop alternatives to the prevailing monoculture in the search engine market.
Over the next two and a half years, values-based principles for open internet search will be researched and developed in close cooperation with the Ethics Group of the Open Search Foundation.
The project results will form the value-orientated basis for a future open European search index. ‘With the #EthicsInSearch project, we want to develop the ethical foundations for an open internet search,’ explains co-project manager Christine Plote. ‘We will be researching the ethical issues raised by internet search and search engines. We will also develop recommendations for action for various stakeholders. In particular, developers of an open web index and those who will use it will receive practical guidelines.’
The results of the project will also be used as a basis for important public awareness-raising work.
Founded in 2018, the non-profit Open Search Foundation is committed to open and transparent internet search and the creation of an open web index. More information on the website www.opensearchfoundation.org
Why ethics are important in internet search
We take the daily use of search engines for granted, but the associated risks are often overlooked. These include tracking, discrimination and non-transparent algorithms. It is not only in Germany that web search is dominated by one provider: With a market share of over 90 per cent, Google directs the majority of digital orientation in Germany and many other countries.
Christine Plote, founding member of the OSF and co-leader of the #EthicsInSearch project, explains:
“Values such as transparency, privacy and justice currently play virtually no role in internet searches. However, ethics must not be a mere nice-to-have, but must become a central component of every search engine.”
Diversity and independence as democratic values
The #EthicsInSearch project aims to strengthen democratic values such as diversity of information and pluralism of opinion in the digital world.
Carla Hustedt, Head of the ‘Digitalised Society’ department at Stiftung Mercator, which is funding the project, emphasises: “Free and independent navigation in the digital space is essential in order to uphold democratic values such as diversity of information and pluralism of opinion. Although we all use search engines every day, the discussion about the ethical issues surrounding web search is still in its infancy. That is why we support the work of the Open Search Foundation on scientific analyses, technical solutions and guidelines for more openness and diversity in internet search.”
A European search index as a vision
At the centre of the Open Search Foundation’s work is the vision of an open European search index that will serve as a basis for alternative search engines and other services. The #EthicsInSearch project aims to create the ethical framework for this open web index. In addition to identifying problems, the team is developing concrete solutions and inviting discussion on questions such as:
For a fairer digital future
Web search influence how we find information and form opinions. The #EthicsInSearch project is committed to making these processes more ethical and transparent – an important step towards value-based digitalisation in Europe.
Project information at:
media@opensearchfoundation.org
+49 8151 9719372
www.ethicsinsearch.org
The project #ethicsinsearch – Ethics of Internet Search by the Open Search Foundation e.V. is funded by Stiftung Mercator.
———–
About Stiftung Mercator
Stiftung Mercator is a private, independent foundation that acts on the basis of scientific expertise and practical project experience. Through its work, it strives to create a society characterised by openness to the world, solidarity and equal opportunities. In order to achieve these goals, it promotes and develops projects that improve opportunities for participation and cohesion in an increasingly diverse society. Through its work, Stiftung Mercator aims to strengthen democracy and the rule of law in Europe, address the impact of digitalisation on democracy and society and promote climate protection.Stiftung Mercator is active in Germany, Europe and worldwide. It feels particularly close to the Ruhr region, the home of the founding family and the foundation’s headquarters.
www.stiftung-mercator.de
About the Open Search Foundation e.V.
The OSF – Open Search Foundation e.V. – is a non-profit European initiative. Since 2018, it has been campaigning for fair and transparent alternatives to standard search engines and informing the public about all aspects of internet search. Its goal is an open search index that takes ethics and European values into account from the outset.
www.opensearchfoundation.org