Google Search

Google Search is the world's most used web search engine, operated by Alphabet Inc. in Mountain View, California. It holds approximately 90% of global search market share and builds detailed behavioral profiles of users for advertising.

EUNon-EU

Brand Identity Data

HQ Country
United States
HQ City
Mountain View
Founded
1998
EU Headquartered
No
EU Manufactured
No
Ownership Type
subsidiary
Stock Exchange
NASDAQ
Tax Domicile
US
Ultimate Parent
Alphabet Inc.
Data Hosting
mixed
CLOUD Act Exposure
Yes ⚠️
AI Trains on User Data
yes
GDPR Status
Fined €272M
DSA Designation
VLOP
Carbon Neutral
certified
B Corp Certified
No
Supply Chain
partial
Repair / Recycling
No
Ethical Certifications
None verified

Verified on August 2, 2026

Corporate Lineage

1998

Founded

Google is founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in Menlo Park, California.

2004

IPO

Google completes its initial public offering on the NASDAQ stock exchange.

2015

Alphabet Restructuring

Google reorganizes under the new parent company, Alphabet Inc.

2018

Android Antitrust Fine

European Commission fines Google 4.34 billion EUR for illegal practices regarding Android devices.

2023

VLOP Designation

Google Search is officially designated as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the EU Digital Services Act.

European Alternatives to Google Search

Q

Qwant

Qwant is a French privacy-focused search engine that does not track users or build behavioral profiles. Headquartered in Paris and supported by the French government, it is co-building a sovereign European web index with Germany's Ecosia.

Compare Google Search vs. Qwant
E

Ecosia

Ecosia is a German search engine that uses advertising revenue to plant trees, headquartered in Berlin. A certified B Corp and carbon-negative business, it is privacy-respecting and uses renewable energy, serving over 20 million searches per day.

Compare Google Search vs. Ecosia

Verification Sources

  1. [1]Google Search on Wikidata
  2. [2]Google Search website