Europe's push to build sovereign national search indices is analyzed through a security lens rather than a digital sovereignty or market competition frame. Search infrastructure has become critical operational infrastructure for governments, enterprises, and AI systems. Dependence on foreign search providers creates systemic risks analogous to software supply chain vulnerabilities. The AI dimension amplifies the stakes since search indices serve as ground truth for AI reasoning. The piece also examines the downsides: political influence over national indices, fragmentation of threat intelligence sharing, and restricted access for global security researchers. The conclusion frames information access alongside energy and telecommunications as national critical infrastructure.
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