Ecosia, the Berlin-based, tree-planting search engine, has released a Linux version of its Chromium-based web browser, aiming to give European open-source users an alternative to browsers made by major American tech firms. The company frames the launch as part of a wider push for European "digital sovereignty," pointing to growing scepticism among privacy-conscious users and developers towards Microsoft and Google.

Ecosia cited data showing Linux's share of EU desktop computers doubled from 2.5% to 5.7% between 2024 and 2025, while Windows fell from 80.2% to 74.2% over the same period; more recent Statcounter figures put Linux at 6.4% and Windows at 68.62%. The new browser is available via Ubuntu's App Center and the Snap store, joining existing Ecosia browsers for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. The move follows Ecosia's earlier partnership with French search firm Qwant on the European Search Perspective, a European search index project, and comes after the European Commission ordered Google to share anonymised search data with rival search engines.