Last updated on March 5, 2021
Nearly everyone I know uses Google. If you’re at all concerned about cybercrime, censorship, stop using Google products. Stop using free online services. Reading any reputable post about online privacy best practices will give the same advice. Mainstream search engines utilize something known as the filter bubble. The filter bubble is erroneous, unethical, and divisive.
Online Privacy Best Practices
If two people search for the same thing using Google, they’re very likely to see different results. Searching for Coronavirus for example may result in links to cases/fatalities/CDC updates etc for one person. The other may receive links to 5G, conspiracy theories, Bill Gates’ nefarious activities, etc. Searching for General Flynn in Chrome, Duck Duck Go, StartPage, or Tor will all return different results.
The filter bubble is an algorithm per se that provides search results contingent upon user data. Search results are based on videos watched, playlists, browser history, social media, and much more. Google, the other big three, and a slew of unheard of companies create profiles on each and every one of us. Thus, tailoring our online experience. Big search keeps us in a bubble.
The problem with the filter bubble is we don’t know what we don’t know. Filter bubble powered search engines don’t show opposing viewpoints. Results are based on who we are. It’s like a journalist telling us only what we want to hear. The filter bubble is a disturbing concept. One that Google’s even admitted to.
StartPage
One may ask what to use in place of Google search? Six alternatives are SearX, Duck Duck Go, StartPage, Onion, Ahmia, and Not Evil. StartPage provides Ixquick and Google search results. It’s also owned by an advertising company. Why am I listing StartPage under online privacy best practices then? Because it’s better than most. How so?
The company is based in the Netherlands, where privacy standards are high. Ixquick has been called the most powerful meta search engine on the web. They have an interesting history you can quickly read about on Wikipedia or on StartPage. They have some fancy certification by a European privacy centered organization. Plus, they have a really cool, fascinating blog, people like you and me would be very much interested in reading.
StartPage doesn’t take note of your IP address. Nor does it pass your user data on to Google before fetching search results. It provides an optional proxy, making users somewhat anonymous. The software is maintained independently, eliminating the need for third party $$. It gives you the option to remove your search results from logs. My understanding of this, is that you’re kept out of websites using analytics that show where users found a site from. There’s other interesting non tech savvy settings.
SearX
SearX is a very interesting, and unique search engine. It’s known as a metasearch engine. Meaning, it bases its results upon other search engine results. Up to 82 different search engines! Users can even set which search engines to use, by category. As of a 2019 reporting, Google seems to be blocking certain queries from SearX.
Their goal is clear. Protect user privacy. I was shocked upon discovering this in an online privacy best practices book. It’s never been mentioned in any relative post I’ve ever read. SearX does not share IP addresses or browser history. Cookies are blocked.
Get this, when a Google user clicks a result link, they’re actually redirected to the site. All Google links are housed in a container, thus capturing troves of data in the process. It’s like a filthy middleman that takes a piece of the product. SearX serves users with actual website links. So it’s more of a peer to peer network of links. There is no middle man in SearX.
Moreover, clicking a link doesn’t always require visiting the desired site. When available, users will be served a cached version. Also when available, users will view the live page through a proxy. What’s more, is each link shows where it came from. Imagine pulling up to a gas station. One pump says the gas came from the US. Another says Saudi Arabia. A third pump says China. Choose who you want to purchase your gasoline from. Read more about this fascinating project here.
Duck Duck Go
Cons: Results don’t have dates. Users complain about the lack of imagery. Search results aren’t always the best. They know where you came from and do not carry fancy third party certificates. It’s hosted on Amazon, based in the US, and uses a variety of search engines for queries.
DuckDuckGo positions itself as a search engine that puts privacy first and as such it does not store IP addresses, does not log user information, and uses cookies only when required. Gabriel Weinberg, creator of DuckDuckGo, states: “By default, DuckDuckGo does not collect or share personal information. That is our privacy policy in a nutshell.” They maintain logs of all search terms used “though not in a personally identifiable way.
Wikipedia
Let’s refer to Duck Duck Go as… Pancakes. Duck Duck Go is too long to type and it’s about as relative to ‘search results’ as Pancakes. If anyone knows who came up with this ridiculous name, I’d love to know in the comments below. According to their privacy page, Pancakes sincerely cares about user privacy. In turn, users are NOT subject to the divisive filter bubble.
Angel fairy music plays here followed by bright lights.
Pancakes has infinite scroll, eliminating the need to click for the next 10 results. They have an onion site, meaning you can search the Dark Web via Pancakes. I’m quite satisfied with search results and I’m a jaded, picky, SOB these days. Pancakes offers unique search tools. Spend a few minutes searching for things you usually search for and you’ll see how the interface offers suggestions and results in a unique way. Users can disable advertisements. When showing though, ads do not have tracking abilities.
With all this being said, I’d say Pancakes is a good solution because of their privacy policy. Which sounds good. You be the judge as to whether it’s truthful of not. Not utilizing the filter bubble is also a big bonus. Regardless, anything in my opinion is better than Google search. I’d certainly add Pancakes to my repertoire of online privacy best practices.
Ahmia
Ahmia.fi is a lesser known search engine. It’s built utilizing the Tor network. Meaning, it’s built with anonymity at it’s core. Anything merely associated with Tor is immediately lumped into online privacy best practices. The software searches the deep web or sometimes called the dark net. It’s known as a great platform for newbies to the digital underground. Ahmia makes searching the deep web a seamless process.
http://msydqstlz2kzerdg.onion/
https://ahmia.fi/i2p/
Onion Search
Need I say more?
https://onionsearchengine.com/Not Evil
Not Evil is ‘clearnetly’ not a mainstream search engine. Read about biased, filtered boring stuff on the clear net. Search here to scan through over 30 million indexed pages on the deep web. One of the coolest and perhaps bizarre features is the ability to chat with other users without any type of signup or authentication whatsoever. Find it here: http://hss3uro2hsxfogfq.onion/
To ensure online privacy best practices, use any or all of the above. Happy searching.
I’ve been browsing online more than 4 hours today,
yet I never found any interesting article like yours.
It is pretty worth enough for me. In my opinion, if all webmasters and bloggers made good content as you did, the web will be much more useful than ever before.
Thank you so very much. Wish I could write far more often, providing additional content for interested users such as yourself! Will have new content soon!
Fine way of describing, and fastidious post to take data about
my presentation subject, which i am going to convey
in institution of higher education.
So happy you’ve found this useful. If you’d like me to cover something specific, please let me know.
I like the valuable information you provide in your articles.
I will bookmark your weblog and check again here frequently.
I’m quite certain I’ll learn many new stuff right here!
Good luck for the next!
Please let me know if you’re looking for a author for your site.
You have some really good posts and I believe
I would be a good asset. If you ever want to
take some of the load off, I’d absolutely love to write some articles for your blog in exchange
for a link back to mine. Please send me an e-mail if interested.
Cheers!
I’m really impressed with your writing skills as well as with the layout on your blog.
Is this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself?
Anyway keep up the excellent quality writing, it is rare to see a great blog like this one today.
Right here is the perfect webpage for anybody who would like to understand this topic.
You know so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I really will need to…HaHa).
You certainly put a new spin on a subject that has been discussed for years.
Excellent stuff, just great!
It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d most certainly donate to this excellent blog!
I guess for now i’ll settle for bookmarking and adding your RSS
feed to my Google account. I look forward to brand new updates and will share this site with
my Facebook group. Talk soon!
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More Infos here: fredrickjaxx.is/online-privacy-best-practices-searching/ […]
I couldn’t refrain from commenting. Perfectly written!
Great post.
I’ve been browsing online greater than 3 hours these days, yet I
never found any fascinating article like yours. It is beautiful
worth sufficient for me. Personally, if all web owners and bloggers made just right content as you did, the internet shall be much more helpful than ever
before.
I think what you said was actually very logical. However,
what about this? suppose you added a little content? I
am not saying your information is not solid., however
suppose you added a title that makes people want more?
I mean Online Privacy Best Practices for Searching | Fredrick Jaxx is a
little plain. You ought to look at Yahoo’s home
page and watch how they create article titles to get viewers to click.
You might add a video or a related picture or two to
grab readers excited about everything’ve got
to say. In my opinion, it would bring your website a little bit more interesting.
Thank you
Can I simply say what a relief to uncover someone
that actually knows what they’re talking about on the web.
You definitely understand how to bring a problem to light and make
it important. More and more people really need to read this and understand this side
of the story. I was surprised you are not more popular because
you most certainly have the gift.
Internet popularity takes time, my friend. Thank you.
I couldn’t resist commenting. Very well written!
Your style is very unique compared to other people I have read stuff from. Thank you for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I’ll just bookmark this site.
Thank you
I am extremely inspired along with your writing abilities and also with the structure on your weblog. Is that this a paid subject or did you modify it your self?
Either way stay up the nice high quality writing,
it is uncommon to peer a great blog like this one today..
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this website. I am hoping to view the same high-grade content from you later on as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my own site now 😉
Great web site you’ve got here.. It’s hard to find quality writing like yours these days. I seriously appreciate people like you! Take care!!
Very good post! We will be linking to this great content on our website.Keep up the great writing!
Awesome!
Your style is really unique in comparison to other folks I’ve read stuff from. I appreciate you for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I’ll just book mark this site.
Thank you!
Hey There. I found your weblog using msn. This is a very neatly written article.
I will be sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful information. Thanks for
the post. I will certainly comeback.
Hеllo There. I found yօur blog using msn. This is a very well ԝritten article.
I’ll be sure to ƅookmɑrk it and come back to read more of
yߋur useful іnfo. Thanks for the pοst. I will certainly return.
Very nice write-up. I definitely appreciate this website. Keep writing!