Private Search Engines
Learn how the major, well-known search engines track you and use your data for advertising purposes. Here you will also find private search alternatives to the "big brother" engines.
What data is collected by the "big brother" search engines?
The search engines that most of the world use are massive data collection machines.
They typically collect, store, and actively use personally identifiable information such as:
- IP address
- Precise geo-location
- User agent string - your web browser, device, operating system, etc.
- Individual search queries - exact date and time of query
- Browsing history
- Cookies (unique identifiers)
To top everything off, major search engines don't give the option of "opting out" of having your data harvested and scrutinized.
That means that the big and non-private search engines know who you are, where you are, and what you're looking for every time you use their service.
This also means that the only way to keep your data from these data harvesting search engines is to not use their search services.
How is your data used?
Many of these search engines will claim to use this data "only to improve future search results."
Naturally, they use your data for much more than that; their 30 page privacy policies will tell you so.
(But they also know people won't sit down and read those wall of texts.)
Be aware that above anything else, your data gets sold, analyzed, scrutinized, and stored all for profit.
What is a private search engine?
Private search engines search for your given query without associating your search request with you or your browsing history.
Private search engines don't collect your data to create shadow profiles of you. They don't track you across the web, or serve you highly targeted advertisements based off your previous search history.
Search vs Metasearch
Most private search engines are actually metasearch engines. This just means that they pull data from other search engines such as Bing/Yahoo and Google.
Often, they'll pull from many other search engines from across the web, which can easily total above 100 different sources.
Private search engines keep your query anonymized, even while pulling data from Bing/Yahoo or Google.
Advantages of using a private search engine
1. Maintains your privacy
This is the number one benefit of using a private search engine.
They don't track you as you browse the web or follow you when you click on a link in a search result.
Again, private search engines don't store personal identifiable information such as source IP address.
If the search engine does log anything, it is typically very temporary but most important of all cannot be traced back to your data profile or real identity.
2. Escape the filter bubble
The filter bubble is a direct consequence of highly "personalized" (read: intrusive) searching.
The more data the major search engines gather about you, the more their automated algorithms can select what information they think you want to see.
In a way, you aren't getting the true results for what you're searching for. You're steadily being isolated by what the algorithm thinks you want to see. It's an internet echo chamber.
The filter bubble has contributed to prevalence of fake news and misinformation by trapping people in their own ideological and cultural bubbles.
Using a private search engine breaks you free from the filter bubble.
Since your data isn't being collected and stored, you're not being spoonfed information that a machine (or a company) thinks or wants you to see.
3. Reduces targeted advertising
Have you ever searched for something and then received weirdly precise ads about what you searched?
That's creepily super targeted advertising at work.
Often, the information search engines collect about you gets used (or sold) to advertising companies.
These advertising companies use this data, and then proceed to collect even more data about you with their own ad trackers. Through this cycle, the ads grow more and more targeted.
Further Reading...
Big Tech Monopolies: List of Google's Products and Subsidiaries
How Filter Bubbles Manipulate What Information You See
Hyper Personalization Doesn't Care About Your Privacy
avoidthehack's 8 Private Search Recommendations
These are our recommendations for privacy respecting (meta)search engines.
Since your needs when using a search engine can easily vary, these engines are not listed in any particular order.
Please note: This search suggestions module does use JavaScript.
Mojeek +
Mojeek is another unique privacy respecting search engine. Unlike many of the search engines found here, it's not a metasearch engine.
Rather, it's independent; it has its own web crawler called MojeekBot.
Mojeek does not use tracking technology. They also do not store cookies on your device without first seeking your permission.
It seems they do log searches, but these logs are "anonymous," and used for analyzing search volume. Reference their privacy policy for more information.
The biggest issue for many people could be that Mojeek is based in the United Kingdom, which is a five eyes country. However, this shouldn't be a concern because they say they do not store personally identifiable information.
Overall, it is a solid independent and private alternative to the big tech search engines. In fact, it's probably the direct biggest rival to the Big Tech search engines that have their own crawlers.
Try it out
Metager +
Metager is an open source metasearch engine. It's run by a nonprofit and the engine's entire infrastructure is based out of Germany.
It can query up to 50 search engines to return results; these other engines can include the likes of Bing and Yandex.
MetaGer will let you know the source it pulled from for every result in a query.
MetaGer does not track you and does not store your private data. Your searches are routed through a proxy and therefore made anonymous.
Try it out
SearX +
SearX is an open-source metasearch engine. Its source code is available on GitHub.
SearX allows you to self-host your own instance. This puts everything about the search experience in your hands. However, you'll find that your results could be lacking because they're being mixed with others'.
There is also a list of public instances. However, the catch with these public instances is that they're anonymous to the user (ie. you).
That means you'll have to trust whoever is running any given public instance you're using. In theory, a shady public instance could definitely store, log, sell, or otherwise abuse your search information without your knowledge.
Try it out
Qwant +
Qwant is a private search engine based in France.
Qwant does not use cookies or tracking technology.
In certain instances, Qwant does collect data; this is usually when you create an account for more advanced features. Qwant says that they do not sell or disclose data any data they do collect.
Despite this, Qwant says that they don't use this data to create a shadow profile based off your search history or browsing habits.
Try it out
DuckDuckGo +
DuckDuckGo is a private metasearch engine based in the US. Its one of the most popular private search engines among privacy-conscious users.
DuckDuckGo pulls from over 400 different sources, but most of the time it pulls results from Bing/Yahoo.
DuckDuckGo does not collect or share personal information. Also, no cookies are used by default, unless you change settings.
However, DuckDuckGo has stated that it does save searches.
Searches aren't saved in a "personally identifiable way," because DuckDuckGo "doesn't store IP addresses or unique User agent strings." Reference their privacy policy for more info.
Try it out
Startpage +
Startpage is a privacy focused search engine that provides search results similar to those you would find for Google.
Startpage was originally founded as an independent company/project circa 2006. However, as of late 2019, Startpage received a large investment by System1.
System1's investment made it the majority investor in the company, but Startpage has stated that its management team retains all rights and autonomy when it comes to dealing with user privacy.
This investment stirred quite the controversy since System1 is a marketing and analytics firm. However, System1 has claimed to have taken a "privacy focused approach" to its dealings. Additionally, it's worthy to note that System1 has not directly proven itself untrustworthy since its investment into Startpage.
It's worthy to note that System1 has also acquired the alternative browser, Waterfox, as well.
Try it out
Whoogle +
Whoogle is a self-hostable search engine that only uses Google search results - minus the tracking technologies.
It shares many similarities with Searx, however Whoogle is designed to be deployed easier and quicker than Searx. Additionally, it should be emphasized that Whoogle only draws from Google search results.
There are a handful of public instances of Whoogle out there. Like Searx instances, you should be aware that there's no way to truly validate instances.
Try it out
Disconnect Search +
Disconnect Search is another private search engine based in the US.
Disconnect doesn't collect personally identifiable information, such as your IP address, when you use the service. They state that the information they do collect is only that of which is voluntarily provided by the user.
They also do not track users across the web. However, they do collect "non-personally identifiable geo-location information" (but not precise location).
Any information that Disconnect Search collects will be retained for 30 days.
Try it out