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Security report for qwant.com

Qwant · Technology · France

Medium risk. 2 critical or high findings in SSL/TLS and GDPR outside view.

Security score

69/100

Risk levelMedium

0–100, higher is better. How it is calculated

Qwant is a French-based privacy-focused search engine that positions itself as a trustworthy alternative to major search providers by emphasizing user privacy, no tracking, and no sale of personal data. It offers a suite of services including a general search engine, a child-safe version called Qwant Junior, and a cloud storage solution via a partner. The website is professionally designed, mobile-optimized, and supports multiple languages, reflecting a mature digital presence. Technically, it uses modern frameworks such as React and Phoenix, integrates Piwik PRO for privacy-respecting analytics, and employs Didomi for consent management. Security posture is strong with HTTPS enforcement and security headers, though explicit security policies and incident response details are not publicly disclosed. WHOIS data is unavailable, likely due to privacy protection, which slightly impacts trust but is consistent with the company’s privacy ethos. Overall, Qwant demonstrates a high level of professionalism, privacy compliance, and technical maturity, making it a credible and secure service in the European market.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
73/ 100 · Medium
Checks completed
7of 7

NIS2 Art. 21(2)

  1. (a) Risk analysis and security policies: Not visible from outside
  2. (b) Incident handling: One indicator
  3. (c) Business continuity, backups and crisis management: Not visible from outside
  4. (d) Supply chain security: Not visible from outside
  5. (e) Secure acquisition, development and maintenance, including vulnerability handling: Partly checked
  6. (f) Assessing the effectiveness of security measures: Not visible from outside
  7. (g) Cyber hygiene and security training: Not visible from outside
  8. (h) Cryptography and encryption: Partly checked
  9. (i) HR security, access control and asset management: One indicator
  10. (j) Multi-factor authentication and secured communications: Not visible from outside

This scan rated NIS2 with an earlier keyword method that is no longer shown; rescan for the per-article view. Risk management, continuity, supply chain, training, MFA, management oversight (Art. 20) and incident reporting (Art. 23) need internal evidence, and Guard cannot tell whether NIS2 applies to this organisation.

GDPR is indicative only, based on publicly visible signals: Articles 7, 12, 13 and 32 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and Article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive. Not a certification or legal assessment.

Priority findings

2 findings rated critical or high. Fix these first.

  1. SSL/TLS

    TLS encrypts the connection and proves the site is really yours. Weak or expiring certificates trigger browser warnings and put traffic at risk.

    • Critical

      Unable to retrieve SSL certificate

      Could not establish secure connection to retrieve certificate information

      What to do: Check if the server is accessible and SSL/TLS is properly configured

  2. GDPR outside view

    These are the privacy signals visitors and data protection authorities look for under GDPR.

    • High

      No Cookie Consent Banner found

      GDPR requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies

      What to do: Implement a cookie consent banner that appears on first visit

Need hands-on remediation? Email guard@offseq.com

Keep watching qwant.com

This scan found 12 issues across 6 checks. Monitoring re-runs those checks daily, emails you when something material changes and records each fix, so you can show progress.

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  • TLS certificates and expiry
  • DNS records
  • SPF, DKIM and DMARC
  • Security headers
  • GDPR and NIS2 posture
  • Exposed services
  • Third-party trackers
  • Security score drift

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Results by check

Each check with its score, findings and the evidence it collected.

How this score is calculated

The security score runs 0–100, higher is better. It is the plain average of the security checks that completed in this scan, each counted equally. A check that could not run is left out: it counts neither as a pass nor as a fail.

Counted in this score

SSL/TLS
0
Security headers
65
Email security
85
DNS health
90
Network security
100
GDPR outside view
73
Average
69

Not counted

  • NIS2 outside view: Re-weights evidence from the TLS, email, DNS, network and hygiene checks, so counting it would count that evidence twice. Shown on its own.
  • OffSeq Observations: An AI reading of the site, useful context but not reproducible evidence. Shown on its own.

Findings that cap the score at 49

Each of these is serious on its own, so while any is present the site cannot rate better than high risk, however good the other checks are.

  • The certificate is not trusted by browsers
  • The website is not served over HTTPS
  • A database, remote desktop, file-sharing or Telnet service is reachable from the internet
  • The page loads a script from a compromised source
  • The domain registration has expired
  • SPF authorises every server to send mail as the domain

Partial scans

When the site blocks Guard or most checks cannot run, the score covers only the checks that ran (usually DNS and email), is capped at 75 and is shown as partial, without a risk level.

Risk levels

  • Critical0–25
  • High26–49
  • Medium50–75
  • Low76–100

Breach exposure

Leaked credentials and lookalike domains from OffSeq Breach. The counts are free; the detailed lists are paid add-ons.

Dark web exposure

Add-on

Leaked records that mention qwant.com, from OffSeq Breach.

Total records
14,235
Employees
5
Customers
14,194
Third parties
36
Weak passwords
13%

Latest record dated 2025-11-14 · 14 subdomains affected

See the 10 newest leaked credentials

A one-off add-on to this report that lists the most recent identifier and password pairs OffSeq Breach holds for qwant.com.

Select it in the checkout above.

Masked preview

  • –qwant.com2025-11-14
  • –qwant.com2025-11-02
  • –qwant.com2025-08-19
  • –qwant.com2025-07-28
  • –www.qwant.com2025-04-14

Breach keeps ingesting new leaks, so these numbers can grow between scans.

Open in Breach(opens in a new tab)Monitor on Breach(opens in a new tab)

Technical appendix

Business context, site observations and technical notes gathered during the scan, and the standards behind each reference.

Business context

Business profile

Qwant operates in the technology sector, specifically in privacy-centric internet search services. Its business model relies on contextual advertising without user tracking, supplemented by a loyalty program rewarding users for searches. The company targets privacy-conscious users, including families via Qwant Junior. Partnerships, such as with Shadow Drive for cloud storage, expand its ecosystem. The company maintains a consistent brand message focused on privacy and European hosting, which strengthens its market position as a trustworthy alternative to dominant search engines. The presence of multiple language options and apps indicates a medium-sized operation with ambitions for broad European reach.

Security posture

Qwant exhibits a mature security posture with HTTPS enforced site-wide, comprehensive security headers, and no detected vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data. The site avoids tracking cookies and employs consent management tools, aligning with GDPR requirements. However, the absence of a publicly available security policy or incident response plan limits transparency. No vulnerability disclosure program or security.txt file was found, which could improve security communication. Overall, the security practices are strong but could benefit from enhanced public documentation and dedicated security contact channels.

Recommendations

  1. Publish a dedicated security policy and incident response information on the website to improve transparency.
  2. Implement and publicize a vulnerability disclosure program or security.txt file to encourage responsible reporting.
  3. Provide explicit security contact channels such as security@ or abuse@ email addresses.
  4. Enhance business contact information with verified company emails and phone numbers for improved credibility.
  5. Maintain WHOIS transparency where possible or provide justification for privacy protection to build trust.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Qwant
Description
Qwant is a French search engine that emphasizes user privacy by not storing search data or selling personal data. It is hosted in Europe and offers services including a general search engine, a junior version for children, and a cloud storage solution called Shadow Drive.
Key services
Search engine, Qwant Junior (child-safe search), Shadow Drive (cloud storage), Browser extension, Mobile apps
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
React, JavaScript, Phoenix framework, Piwik PRO analytics, Didomi consent management
Frameworks
Phoenix
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Performance
fast
Mobile
excellent
Accessibility
good
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
90/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • No personal data retention
  • No tracking cookies
  • Consent management implemented
  • Secure forms with autocomplete off

Analytics and tracking

Services
Piwik PRO
Tracking level
minimal
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Ad networks
Microsoft Advertising
Tracking pixels
Piwik PRO
Marketing tools
Didomi Consent Management
Transparency
good

Site quality

Design
excellent
User experience
excellent
Content relevance
excellent
Navigation
excellent
Professionalism
excellent
Trustworthiness
high

Key observations

  1. Website is fully accessible with no blocking or WAF challenges.
  2. Strong emphasis on privacy and data protection.
  3. Comprehensive legal and privacy documentation available.
  4. Multiple language support and regional targeting.
  5. Use of modern web technologies and analytics with consent.
  6. No exposed sensitive data or security issues detected.
  7. No direct company contact emails or phone numbers found on main site; contact via forms.
  8. WHOIS data unavailable, possibly due to privacy protection.
Technical notes

Notes

The website leverages a modern tech stack including React for frontend and Phoenix framework for backend, ensuring a responsive and performant user experience. It integrates Piwik PRO for privacy-focused analytics and Didomi for consent management, reflecting compliance with privacy regulations. Hosting is European-based, supporting the company’s privacy claims. The site is well-optimized for mobile devices and accessibility, with proper SEO meta tags and Open Graph data. Performance is fast with preloading of critical assets. No CMS was detected, indicating a custom or proprietary platform. Overall, the technical infrastructure is robust, modern, and aligned with the company’s privacy and performance goals.
Standards and sources

Reference chips under each finding point to the standard, regulation or specification the finding relates to. They are taken from the official datasets below and mapped conservatively: a finding with no defensible link shows none. NIS2 and GDPR references mark where a finding is relevant evidence, not a compliance verdict. Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2690 binds digital infrastructure and digital service providers; for other entities it is the most detailed public reading of the Article 21 measures. WCAG, EN 301 549, European Accessibility Act and Web Accessibility Directive references name the requirement an automated accessibility rule relates to; they are not a conformance verdict.

Retrieved 2026-10-25

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