When searching online, targeted ads frequently appear, following you across the web. Major search engines track your search queries, location data, and clicks to serve personalized advertisements. This practice causes frustration for many users, who feel their online activity is constantly monitored. Google and Bing are the most popular choices for many users.
Google, however, tracks user activity for targeted ads. Several search engines prioritize user privacy. A key advantage of these engines is that your search data is not used for advertising.
DuckDuckGo: DuckDuckGo’s core principle is ‘Privacy, Simplified.’ This search engine does not store personal information or track your search queries. Its apps and browser extensions include tracker protection to prevent third-party tracking.
Swisscows: Swisscows is designed as a no-tracking search engine. It uses its own search index and cooperates with Brave to enhance the quality of search results. While it displays advertisements, financed by Bing, the company emphasizes that user data is not shared with ad partners.
Brave Search: Brave Search is based on its own web index and thus minimizes its dependence on Google and Bing. This helps it avoid tracking users. Brave Search also provides an optional privacy-preserving web discovery project where users can contribute data to enhance the index if they opt in. Brave Search can be used on any browser.
Similar to Google’s AI Mode, this search engine also provides the ‘Answers with AI’ feature, which allows users to input a query in the search bar and click the star-shaped icon to get detailed information. This provides AI-generated insights.
Startpage: Startpage’s Anonymous View feature helps maintain your online privacy. The company never saves user search history and does not sell it. Startpage leverages its own personal data protection technology to present Google search results. Further, the company removes user IP addresses from all global servers and does not permit third parties to access user data, avoiding targeted advertising.