Online searches frequently lead to targeted advertisements. Major search engines collect data on user searches, locations, and clicks, using this information for advertising. This practice is a common source of frustration for many internet users, who feel constantly followed by ads. Google and Bing are the most widely used search engines.
Google uses your activity to deliver targeted ads, but several alternative search engines are designed with privacy as a priority. These search engines do not use your search data for advertising.
DuckDuckGo: DuckDuckGo focuses on ‘Privacy, Simplified.’ It does not store personal information or track search queries. The company offers tracker protection in its apps and browsers to block third-party tracking.
Swisscows: Swisscows is a self-proclaimed no-tracking search engine. It uses its own search index and collaborates with Brave to improve search results. While Swisscows displays ads, funded by Bing, it assures users that their personal data is not shared with advertising partners.
Brave Search: Brave Search operates independently, using its own web index and minimizing its reliance on Google and Bing. This helps prevent user tracking. Brave also has an optional feature where users can contribute data to improve the index, promoting privacy. Brave Search is compatible with any web browser.
Brave Search offers an AI feature, similar to Google’s AI Mode, where users can get detailed information by entering a query and clicking the star icon. This delivers comprehensive AI-driven search results.
Startpage: Startpage’s Anonymous View feature protects your online privacy. The company does not save user search history or sell it. Startpage uses its own data protection technology to show Google search results, and it removes user IP addresses from its global servers to further enhance privacy. It also restricts third-party access to your personal data to prevent targeted advertising.