SEASON 2025: Conference on search engines and society in September 2025

The 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

At 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

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.

The osf ethics working group at the 6th Open Search Symposium #ossym24

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

Researchers, 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.

More Information

#FWSD23: Ethics in Search – A webinar about ethical aspects of web search and search engines

As 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.

They will provide concrete examples to illustrate the fundamental principles of web search and discuss the implications for individuals and society as a whole, highlighting the role of a small number of market players in this context. The webinar will also explore how web search can unintentionally lead to ethical issues and offer a behind-the-scenes perspective on web search. It will demonstrate how a European web index with openness and transparency can offer a new perspective for search engines and other services such as generative AI. It will also show how this, based on humanistic values, can positively influence the European economy and society. The webinar will provide practical tips on how we, as individuals, can already search more safely and ethically.

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

Open 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:

  • Organise or attend events: Schools, universities, and organisations can host discussions, lectures, or workshops on the impact of search engines.
  • Join hackathons: IT professionals and programmers can collaborate on technical solutions, such as developing an open web index.
  • Spread awareness online: Individuals can engage by sharing #FreeWebSearch Day content on social media, sparking conversations about the importance of open web search.

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.