In the digital age, privacy has become a significant concern, especially when it comes to search engines like Google and Bing. These popular platforms are known for harvesting user data, which they use in various ways, often without the user’s knowledge or consent. They record and store information such as IP addresses, cookies, search queries, and the date and time of queries. This data is used to show targeted ads and can even be sold to third parties or handed over to entities like the NSA upon request.
For those who value their privacy, there are alternative search engines that prioritize user privacy. One of the most well-known is DuckDuckGo. This search engine does not track or log any user information, and it doesn’t use anonymous identifiers to link searches together. It sources results from over 400 sources, including Yahoo, Bing, and Yandex, but not Google. DuckDuckGo also offers unique non-privacy features, such as “Bangs,” which allow users to search other sites directly by typing an exclamation point in front of a search query.
Another notable privacy-focused search engine is StartPage. Unlike DuckDuckGo, StartPage pulls results from Google Search, providing users with Google’s superior search results without compromising their privacy. StartPage pays Google for these results and does not send any user identifiers or IP addresses. It also offers a proxy feature that prevents individual websites from seeing a user’s IP address.
Read more: www.makeuseof.com