about.qwant.com privacy policy — score 72/100 (medium risk)
Sidst analyseret
Rapportindholdet (resumé, fund, citater) er genereret på engelsk og er ikke lokaliseret.
Qwant · qwant.com
Rapportdetaljer
medium risikoQwant offers strong baseline privacy for anonymous search, but creating an account or consenting to cookies triggers significant data sharing with Microsoft for personalized ads and AI features, creating a gap between its privacy branding and actual data flows.
Qwant's privacy policy presents a dual reality: a privacy-friendly default for anonymous users that avoids targeted ads and search history storage, contrasted with a highly permissive data-sharing regime if users create an account or consent to cookies. The core search functionality relies heavily on Microsoft, to whom Qwant transfers search keywords, device data, and IP addresses. While the policy is detailed about consent mechanisms, it makes broad claims about not doing targeted advertising that are directly contradicted by sections detailing profile creation for personalized ads. Furthermore, the policy is entirely silent on whether data from new AI features is used for model training, and it lacks clarity on international data transfers beyond stating initial transmission to Microsoft occurs within the EU.
Vurdering pr. kategori
Opdeling af politikken på vigtige compliance-områder. God = stærk, rimelig = blandet, dårlig = bekymrende.
Anonymous search limits collection, but account creation and consent trigger the collection and sharing of highly sensitive data like full IP addresses and search keywords with Microsoft.
The policy details processing purposes in tables, but its headline claim of 'no targeted advertising' is misleading given the extensive sections on personalized ads and profile creation.
Core search and ad functionality relies on Microsoft, which receives search queries, IP addresses, and device data, and acts as an independent data controller for ad personalization.
The policy only states data is transmitted to Microsoft 'within the European Union' but is completely silent on whether Microsoft processes or transfers this data outside the EU thereafter.
The policy mentions 'new features integrating artificial intelligence' but is entirely silent on whether user data or queries are used to train or improve these AI models.
Clearly lists standard GDPR rights (access, rectification, erasure, portability, objection), provides direct DPO contact details, and references the CNIL for complaints.
Vigtige fund
Bemærkelsesværdige klausuler, problemer eller gode praksisser (kritiske først)
Contradictory claims regarding targeted advertising
The policy explicitly states Qwant preserves privacy 'without targeted advertising,' yet later sections detail consent-based processing for 'Using profiles to select personalized ads' and 'Creating profiles for personalized advertising' via Microsoft Advertising.
Extensive data sharing with Microsoft for core functionality
To provide search results and contextual ads, Qwant transfers pseudonymized search keywords, browser information, partial or full IP addresses, and a salted hash to Microsoft, relying on Microsoft's own privacy policy for subsequent data handling.
Ambiguous AI data usage and training
The policy mentions 'new features integrating artificial intelligence' accessible via user accounts, but fails to specify whether user inputs, queries, or interactions with these AI features are used to train or improve the underlying AI models.
Unclear international transfer mechanisms
While the policy notes that data is transmitted to Microsoft 'within the European Union,' it does not confirm whether the data remains in the EU or if Microsoft transfers it to the US, failing to explicitly address GDPR Chapter V transfer requirements.
Microsoft acts as independent data controller for ads
The policy states that advertising partners, including Microsoft, 'act as data controllers, meaning they define the purposes and methods of using your data,' meaning Qwant users are subject to Microsoft's data practices without Qwant's oversight.
Resumé til brugeren
You can use Qwant anonymously with good privacy protections, but if you sign up for an account or accept cookies, your search data and IP address will be shared with Microsoft for advertising and AI features.
Compliance-stilling
The policy attempts to comply with GDPR by distinguishing between consent-based and legitimate interest processing, and by providing clear rights information. However, the reliance on Microsoft's own privacy policy for retention and further processing of shared data creates a transparency gap regarding international transfers and secondary uses.
EU-overførsler
The policy states that data is transmitted to Microsoft 'within the European Union' but fails to clarify whether Microsoft subsequently transfers this data to the US or other third countries, making the international transfer risk unclear and dependent on Microsoft's own policy.
Registrerede signaler
Specifikke datapunkter og praksisser identificeret i teksten
Bevisuddrag
Direkte citater fra politikken, der understøtter disse fund
Qwant remains your search engine, preserving your privacy without targeted advertising or storing your search history, thus guaranteeing neutral and unfiltered results without using advertising cookies on your Device.
Qwant can transfer the following pseudonymized data to this partner related to your query: Search keywords, Information about the browser you are using, The first three bytes of your IP address or, in the case of a User Account, the IP address...
This data is transmitted to this partner within the European Union and may be retained in accordance with Microsoft’s Privacy Policy for a maximum period of 18 months.
We use your Device and browsing data to present you with ads based on your advertising profiles. These profiles are created based on your activity on our Service or other websites or applications (the content you view).
Qwant also gives you the opportunity to test our new features integrating artificial intelligence once a month.
Mangler eller uklart
- Explicit confirmation of whether data stays in the EU/EEA or is transferred to the US by Microsoft
- Whether user data or queries are used to train or fine-tune AI models
- Details on safeguards (e.g., Standard Contractual Clauses) if international transfers occur
- Specific retention periods for user account data beyond '13 months from last activity'
- Details on how to opt out of legitimate interest processing (A/B testing, statistics)
Spørgsmål at stille
- Does Microsoft subsequently transfer the search data and IP addresses shared by Qwant outside of the EU/EEA, and if so, what appropriate safeguards (e.g., Standard Contractual Clauses) are in place?
- Are user queries and interactions with the new AI features used to train, fine-tune, or improve the underlying AI models, and if so, how can users opt out?
- When users consent to personalized ads, what specific data points from the 'advertising profiles' are shared with third-party bidders in the real-time auction managed by Microsoft?
- How can users object to the processing of their data based on Qwant's legitimate interests, such as A/B testing and internal statistics?
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