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After using both DuckDuckGo and StartPage (Ixquick) for months, I switched to PrivateLee a year ago. It provides the most relevant results of the three and includes an image search. The main thing I'm missing are the convenient conversions between measurement units and currencies, but I'm willing to take an extra step for those as long as the vast majority of my searches provide relevant results and respect my privacy.

The secret to PrivateLee's good search results is that they proxy the results from Google and Bing without letting either one know who is the end-user initiating the query.

The article misses the point. It's about getting rid of the Google sphere and search filtering.

I'm using Startpageat the moment.

as a silent protest, I chose to use them.

That's all good. I've tried https://startpage.com/ but I'm not smart enough to know how effective it is at keeping my anonymous.

It seems to keep Google from upskirting my private info, and maybe that's enough.

So I've switched to Duck Duck go, because the EFF said it was ok (and I'll change again when a better non-US alternative comes along),

https://startpage.com/ is an anonymizing front-end for Google search, based in the Netherlands.
Details here: https://startpage.com/eng/prism-program-exposed.html

https://www.ixquick.com/ is an independent search engine, apparently by the same company in the Netherlands.

I started using startpage.com yesterday. So far so good, although I'm not used to seeing ads in my search results.

Thank you so much for the links.

This is my present browser setup to nullify tracking. It's all free and available via Tools > Add-ons

FIREFOX plus these addons

Ghostery
Adblock Plus
Anonymox
Better Privacy
HTTPS-Everywhere
Self-Destructing Cookies

They all play well together.

There is also Tails: https://tails.boum.org/

So I've switched to Duck Duck go, because the EFF said it was ok (and I'll change again when a better non-US alternative comes along),

https://startpage.com/ is an anonymizing front-end for Google search, based in the Netherlands.
Details here: https://startpage.com/eng/prism-program-exposed.html

https://www.ixquick.com/ is an independent search engine, apparently by the same company in the Netherlands.

I started using startpage.com yesterday. So far so good, although I'm not used to seeing ads in my search results.

Thank you so much for the links.

This is my present browser setup to nullify tracking. It's all free and available via Tools > Add-ons

FIREFOX plus these addons

Ghostery
Adblock Plus
Anonymox
Better Privacy
HTTPS-Everywhere
Self-Destructing Cookies

They all play well together.

There is also Tails: https://tails.boum.org/

So I've switched to Duck Duck go, because the EFF said it was ok (and I'll change again when a better non-US alternative comes along),

https://startpage.com/ is an anonymizing front-end for Google search, based in the Netherlands.
Details here: https://startpage.com/eng/prism-program-exposed.html

https://www.ixquick.com/ is an independent search engine, apparently by the same company in the Netherlands.

I started using startpage.com yesterday. So far so good, although I'm not used to seeing ads in my search results.

So I've switched to Duck Duck go, because the EFF said it was ok (and I'll change again when a better non-US alternative comes along),

https://startpage.com/ is an anonymizing front-end for Google search, based in the Netherlands.
Details here: https://startpage.com/eng/prism-program-exposed.html

https://www.ixquick.com/ is an independent search engine, apparently by the same company in the Netherlands.

I started using startpage.com yesterday. So far so good, although I'm not used to seeing ads in my search results.

"or use Duckduckgo"

here's another one to use; I've been using it for about a month and like it. Combines ixquick with Google results, and offers additional goodness, such as SSL, no cookies, proxy. (One search engine I miss is Kartoo - if it was still around it would be great along with this kind of anonymized, trackless search.) It also avoids handing over referrer info - which can be used to track you regardless of IP, depending on your settings.

https://startpage.com/

StartPage

(Also known as Ixquick) is good, as is DuckDuckGo, for those who value privacy.

StartPage

You have a lot of sites and cited scientists to inform they don't have the slightest idea about epigenetics and the appropriateness of this parallel, then...

https://startpage.com/do/search?query=lamarck+epigenetics

And, "completely wrong" would be inclusive of him being wrong that behavior can alter what is propagated genetically. In other words, he wasn't "completely wrong".

I think that one using Google would worrying about security of their searches a little funny and ironic. The Google way: Give us access to all your Email, all your contacts, your location, your calls, the apps you install, all your searches, all your comments on Google+, your research on Google Maps, your shopping, all your purchases with Google Wallet, tracking you with Adsense from millions of sites, storing your passwords in Google's browsers, recording your network passwords in your Android accounts, sniffing the neighborhood's WiFi, storing your photos and comments in Picasa, holding pictures of your house and cars/property in Google Earth and Streetview, recording your viewing habits on Google TV, sifting through your files stored on Google Drive, following your movements with location history, who you chat with on Google Talk and Hangouts, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc

Anyway, if you ARE concerned about the privacy of your searches, this visit this site in *ANY* browser: https://startpage.com/ And note that when you visit there in Firefox, they will provide a link called "Add to Firefox" and that will install their info into your search box which is always encrypted. But most importantly, you are not giving away all your searching to Google, even though you get most of the same results as if you went to Google directly. One should never have all their eggs in one basket.

I understand that this is probably regarding Google directing people to their own services when searching for competitors (Google+ when searching for Facebook, for example), but I'm going to take the opportunity to go off-topic and mention two providers who use Google results without giving them tracking information.

https://www.duckduckgo.com/
https://www.startpage.com/

The results are slightly off sometimes, but that only goes to show that Google really does its profiling of you very, very well indeed.

I used DDG too and found a lot of results just weren't as good as Google. I've since started using StartPage They use Google results, and offer browsing through the IxQuick proxy to continue anonymous browsing (sister site, apparently).

Another commenter suggested this: https://startpage.com/ Uses google directly.

I have just tried startpage and it is very good. It seems to be run by ixquick, which seems good too

GPL has repeatedly held at court.

Not open source, but an awful lot less "evil" than Google in other ways: Startpage. Their results come from Google, but they don't track your identity at all. They're not trying to make the Panopticon a reality like Google seems to be, and they're not pulling asinine political stunts like this.

Do you use ixquick or duckduckgo instead then? if you REALLY need to use Google search, give http://www.startpage.com/ a go, it works in the exact same way that Scroogle did

Try ixquick. I think you'll like it much better than DuckDuckGo. Also startpage is pretty good and uses Google to return results.

Google results via SSL proxy, with image and video search, content filtering, etc. VERY nice.
https://www.startpage.com/

From iXquick, in NL. These are the folks behind the iXquick anon proxy service.

Startpage does not record your IP address or track your searches. The Startpage the results are actually generated by Google.

Startpage supports SSL. So, when I type in Startpage.com, "https" appears in front of their URL instead of "http." That extra "s" tells me that that encryption is being used between my browser and the Startpage servers.

The sister search engine to Startpage is Ixquick. If I am not mistaken, the Ixquick search results are generated by various search engines other than Google.

Startpage also offers the option of viewing web sites through their proxy service. When selecting something from their search results, just click on "view by Ixquick proxy." Then, they only see the Startpage IP address, instead of your IP address. However, I have almost never actually bothered to use the proxy feature.

Privacy advocate Katherine Albrecht is the enthusiastic spokeswoman for Startpage.

https://startpage.com/

https://www.startpage.com/ bills itself as "the world's most private search engine"

I resist. Try http://duckduckgo.com/ or http://startpage.com./ It's possible.

If you don't want your search results filtered by US, use Yandex or alternatively Baidu.

There is also European StartPage / Ixquick, but it's more for privacy. It aggregates results from Google and other search engines, so US censors still apply. Yandex and Baidu are completely independant search engines.

Sadly, this is what US has become.

Bing actually is a good service. It's nothing like Live search previously, and they really worked to make it good. And this against the fact that Google has access to great amount of usage statistics. Search engines isn't about just algorithm - it's mostly about using data against those algorithms. And when you have a monopoly in search, you have access to much more data than your competitors, ultimately requiring them to spend much more effort, money and power to compete than the position you are in. This is also why Google collects so much data, from the links you choose in search results. If you've done your research, you notice they use javascript to show the real url in your status bar, but the links still go via Google or do a request in the background to log that info. It helps them collect that info and it makes them have a major power over their competitors.

Now, Bing and Microsoft actually went out and started fighting them, from a seriously underpowered position. And it's great they do, because otherwise Google would be the only search provider in the western world.

This is also the reason why Google is struggling in non-western world like China and Russia. They didn't get there by the time internet got wider usage, so they cannot get market share now.

Firefox with Google as default is a "join project" too. Mozilla depends on almost completely on revenue coming from Google. And unlike Slashdotters think, it's not a "here, take some money and make a great open source browser!". Firefox has (or, had) the market share required and Google wanted to be the default engine so they get users. And they pay a share of revenue generated by those Firefox. Just like Ubuntu, Fedora and other free Linux distros to generate their revenue. Not that's there's anything wrong with that, but usually Slashdotters try to somehow glorify Google. It's business as usual.

Personally, I use StartPage / IXQUICK because it's European and values my privacy more.

Allow me to quote here from the Google Terms of Service which govern every activity and interaction you have with Google. Fun to read if you have any Data Protection of HIPAA responsibilities. If you need it in another language, do to the relevant google (i.e. google.de) and use the same /accounts/tos link.

The conclusion you should draw from this is to never, ever use Google for ANYTHING that involved intellectual property or cannot handle disclosure. The 11.1 clause looks OK, but 11.2 is formulated so vague it applies to anyone, even their window cleaners.

Here goes:

11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.

11.2 You agree that this license includes a right for Google to make such Content available to other companies, organizations or individuals with whom Google has relationships for the provision of syndicated services, and to use such Content in connection with the provision of those services.

11.3 You understand that Google, in performing the required technical steps to provide the Services to our users, may (a) transmit or distribute your Content over various public networks and in various media; and (b) make such changes to your Content as are necessary to conform and adapt that Content to the technical requirements of connecting networks, devices, services or media. You agree that this license shall permit Google to take these actions.

11.4 You confirm and warrant to Google that you have all the rights, power and authority necessary to grant the above license.

If you use Google for any kind of data storage or communication after reading the above you deserve all the trouble it will bring. I'd even hesitate about using their search without an anonymiser such as startpage and even then you have to be careful with the results..

The Startpage search engine allows encrypted SSL connections and also the option of viewing the results through a proxy. For an encryped SSL connection to the Startpage search engine, type HTTPS instead of HTTP in the URL for Startpage. For example, either of the following will give an encrypted connection to their webpage:

https://startpage.com/
https://ixquick.com/

Then, after searching for what you are looking for, click on the word “Proxy” after the most likely looking search result. By clicking on the word “Proxy,” you get to view the website with Startpage acting as a proxy.

Presumably, the Internet providers logs would then not show what the user had been searching for and viewing. Startpage also does not record IP addresses or use cookies. Startpage is known as Ixquick outside of the United States. Below are two links that talk about the proxy feature of Startpage.

http://ixquick.com/proxy/eng/help.html
Katherine vs Google

Just for example, if I were searching for some information about some conspiracy theory I had recently heard about, I might use an SSL connection to Startpage, and the proxy option for viewing the results. Not wanting the government think that I might be one of those wacko conspiracy theorists, I might use an SSL connection to Startpage and choose the proxy option for viewing the results.

Startpage.com is a privacy oriented alternative to Google. It does not retain your personal data and does not record your IP address or use identifying cookies. It also does not share your personal information with third parties.

Startpage also has a proxy service. According to the article below, “With each Startpage search, the word "proxy" appears under each result. If a user clicks "proxy," they may view the result privately.”

Killer way to slay the Google beast

It is also possible to use secure encrypted connections with startpage by using the https://startpage.com/ version of their URL instead of the http://startpage.com/ version. That option would also be good for when using an open WiFi hotspot, where someone with a laptop with packet sniffing software on his laptop might be capturing your unencrypted packets. Google also offers that some option too, by typing https instead of http.

The search results for Startpage do not seem quite as good as when using Google, so perhaps it might be best to just use Startpage when you want more privacy and Google at other times.

Startpage.com is a privacy oriented alternative to Google. It does not retain your personal data and does not record your IP address or use identifying cookies. It also does not share your personal information with third parties.

Startpage also has a proxy service. According to the article below, “With each Startpage search, the word "proxy" appears under each result. If a user clicks "proxy," they may view the result privately.”

Killer way to slay the Google beast

It is also possible to use secure encrypted connections with startpage by using the https://startpage.com/ version of their URL instead of the http://startpage.com/ version. That option would also be good for when using an open WiFi hotspot, where someone with a laptop with packet sniffing software on his laptop might be capturing your unencrypted packets. Google also offers that some option too, by typing https instead of http.

The search results for Startpage do not seem quite as good as when using Google, so perhaps it might be best to just use Startpage when you want more privacy and Google at other times.

But what about http://www.startpage.com/ ? the have a pretty good privacy policy, that's a sell point over Google's.

How about Startpage Advanced?

https://startpage.com/eng/advanced-search.html

They're making efforts to start protecting your privacy.

DuckDuckGo does indeed look interesting.

a search engine that specifically advertised privacy

You mean like startpage, a search engine powered by Ixquick that doesn't record your IP address?

a search engine that specifically advertised privacy

You mean like startpage, a search engine powered by Ixquick that doesn't record your IP address?

For search engine, ixquick / startpage.com. It also respects your privacy and doesn't log any information.

I've got another suggestion, change search engine, https://startpage.com/ Google needs to feel the heat of competition, remember at any single point in time going with the monopolists sounds like the best idea, but it's bad in the long term.

Consider 26-year-old Ari Brand, an actor living in Manhattan's East Village. Google has access to the fact he paid $733 for a flat-screen TV, because he uploaded his budget to Google Docs, an online word processor and spreadsheet. It has access to the 23,000 emails he has sent through Gmail.

At this point I need to put in a plug for the Start Page Search Engine, which does not store your IP address.

And when you go to http://www.startpage.com/ as with www.google.com, your ISP is likely to redirect you to their own search portal or otherwise not forward you to the actual SSL page that you wanted.

Using SSL via an https URL starting from the very first web request is the *only* way to maintain privacy.

Going to http://www.startpage.com/ redirects you to the https version.

As an interesting aside, this is from the FAQ page:

On July 14th 2008 Ixquick received the first European Privacy Seal from European Data Protection Supervisor Mr. Peter Hustinx. The Seal officially confirms the privacy promises we make to our users. It makes Ixquick the first and only EU-approved search engine. Both EU Commissioner Viviane Reding and Dr.Thilo Weichert, German Privacy Commissioner complemented Ixquick on its privacy achievements. You can find the press release here.

So... the EU wants privacy, but also wants to monitor everything you do? What a strange place.

Going to http://www.startpage.com/ redirects you to the https version.

As an interesting aside, this is from the FAQ page:

On July 14th 2008 Ixquick received the first European Privacy Seal from European Data Protection Supervisor Mr. Peter Hustinx. The Seal officially confirms the privacy promises we make to our users. It makes Ixquick the first and only EU-approved search engine. Both EU Commissioner Viviane Reding and Dr.Thilo Weichert, German Privacy Commissioner complemented Ixquick on its privacy achievements. You can find the press release here.

So... the EU wants privacy, but also wants to monitor everything you do? What a strange place.

No https://www.startpage.com/ might, but if its ordinary HTTP, it can be detected by the ISP which is honestly more of a threat than Google logging searches.

I guess search engines like StartPage (also known as Ixquick) that don't keep logs of your IP address are gonna see a nice jump in traffic.

No thanks, I'm more concerned with giving Google all this information. I'll stick to using the Google Sharing extension when I have to use Google search or other services and Startpage for general search (no ip logging and done over SSL).

This is a much more anonymous alternative. They even have a custom contract with Google to not pull user data with their adsense crap. You can even proxy the links through a proxy server :)

+1. I've been using StartPage for a while, which is run by ixquick. Admittedly, it sometimes doesn't give me what I'm searching for, but it usually does, and they do not record your IP address at all. Very privacy-oriented.

How much is Google paying you to say this? Is Yahoo, Bing, not to mention startpage not capable of filling the void?

IXquick/StartPage don't use tracking nonsense. http://ixquick.com/ http://startpage.com/ cheers!

I use Start Page.

I use ixquick.com which claims to be the only search engine which does not collect your IP address. They have also recently started going by the alternative name name of startpage.com. You can access them by either name or URL.

http://ixquick.com/
http://startpage.com/eng/protect-privacy.html

Or use scroogle.org which proxies your google searches so they have no idea whom you are.
Or startpage.com / ixquick.com which meta searches multiple search facilities and keeps no private information.

http://startpage.com/eng/protect-privacy.html
Startpage is powered by Ixquick. The only search engine that does not record your IP address. Your privacy is under attack ! Every time you use a regular search engine, your search data are recorded. Your search terms, the time of your visit, the links you choose, your IP address and your User ID cookies all get stored in a database. The identity profiles that can be constructed from this cloud of information represent modern day gold for marketers. But government officials, hackers and even criminals also have an interest in getting their hands on your personal search data. And sooner or later they will...