Who Should Control the First Step You Take Online?

Every time you visit a website, your device sends a request asking where that site is located. This request goes through a system called DNS, short for Domain Name System. It works like a phone book for the internet, turning web names into IP addresses that devices can understand. Although it's one of the first steps in going online, most users rarely think about who answers those requests.

The problem is that most DNS providers are based outside Europe. While they work efficiently, they often handle browsing data under legal systems that don’t follow EU privacy rules. This raises concerns about transparency and control. For public institutions and privacy-conscious users alike, the lack of regional oversight has become a deeper infrastructure challenge.

To shift control back within the region, the European Union introduced DNS4EU—a public DNS service run entirely inside the EU. It was developed by a group of 13 organizations from 10 countries, including national cybersecurity teams and research institutions. The project is led by a Czech company and supported by EU digital programs. It offers an alternative path where internet name requests stay inside trusted European systems.

Users can choose from five modes: basic security filtering, child-safe browsing, ad blocking, full protection, or an open setting with no filters. All versions use encrypted protocols like DNS-over-HTTPS or DNS-over-TLS to keep traffic private. DNS4EU also shares updates with national cybersecurity centers, so if a threat is detected in one country, it can be blocked across all participating networks immediately.

Beyond offering technical options, DNS4EU reflects a wider shift in internet governance. It gives governments, public services, and individuals a tool to handle internet access on their own terms. With the infrastructure staying local and the decision-making shared across borders, it lays the groundwork for a more secure and self-managed digital space in Europe.