We are in the age of immediate information, where any tidbit we desire to know is within seconds of our fingers flying over a keyboard – all you have to do is Google it.
Google (both the search engine and the verb) permeates our culture as the go-to way to find what you need. It’s convenient, accurate, and personalized, giving users much to love.
However, there are many concerns over user privacy. We are constantly feeding this singular entity information on ourselves, and it’s never more evident when ads pop up about something you may have found yourself merely thinking about hours before.
Fortunately, there are many other alternative search engines on the web that will garner the same (if not better!) results as Google, without having to sacrifice your peace of mind.
DuckDuckGo
This search engine does not track your online activities or store any information, making it the best alternative in the way of privacy.
You can add the extension to your Chrome browser or download the app to your phone. DuckDuckGo blocks Google’s trackers across the internet as you browse, making what you do not only private but faster since all tracking codes have been disabled.
It gives search results from engines like Yahoo!, Yandex, and Google, among others. Users can also search directly on sites like Wikipedia or Amazon by starting their query with an exclamation point.
Microsoft Bing
This is the second-largest search engine after Google, and it offers users a lovely visual experience. Simply pulling up the home page offers a stunning background behind the search bar.
Like Google, Bing has features such ase currency conversion, translation, and flight tracking.
The results display looks much like Google’s, and a plus is the way it displays video search results. You can hover over the thumbnails for a quick preview of the video.
Brave
Brave is another privacy-focused browser that does not profile or track users.
It pulls results from its own index, and refines searches based on community feedback. The more users that contribute their feedback to Brave, the smarter its search function becomes.
Search Encrypt
Search Encrypt uses local encryption to make sure searchers’ identifiable information can’t be tracked. Additionally, after 30 minutes of inactivity your browser history will be erased.
The thing it does store is your search data, though without personal identifiers. This is to improve its performance.
The search engine pulls its results from a network that includes Google, Bing, and Yahoo. More info about Mia Khalifa
Ecosia
This is a great choice if you’re looking to do good while browsing the web. From the way it operates to how people utilize it, Ecosia contributes to the well-being of the planet.
The company donates 80% of its profits to tree-planting projects, which amounts to roughly one tree for every 45 searches. Its servers run on clean power thanks to the solar plant the business built.
The one thing it does not do is keep information completely private. It collects search data and personal identifiers, though it does make them anonymous after a period of seven days.
