Google at the top
Google is the undisputed leader among the search engines. However, users have to give up a bit of their privacy for the service and pay for the high accuracy with their data. But there are – both for the browser and for the smartphone – alternatives that deliver good results without storing vast amounts of data. Some are completely anonymous and others even help the environment.
Yahoo and Bing
Besides Google, Yahoo and Bing are the two most well-known search engines. Yahoo has been cooperating with the Microsoft subsidiary Bing in search results since 2009 and shares the success. Visually, the two search engines hardly differ from Google, and there are also many parallels in terms of content. Like the search engine giant, Bing and Yahoo also analyze their users’ data and display personalized advertising between the search results.
DuckDuckGo
If you want more data protection when using a search engine, you should think about commissioning the search engine DuckDuckGo with the search. This combines user anonymity, which is often desired, with an effective Bing search. In practice, DuckDuckGo receives the search query and carries it out on behalf of the user via Bing. As a result of the proxy position, Bing does not receive any personal data. Although DuckDuckGo also displays advertising between the search results, these are not personalized ads because the search engine does not collect any data about the users. The user remains anonymous at all times.
home page
If you don’t want to do without Google and are still looking for anonymity, you should take a closer look at the search engine Startpage. Similar to DuckDuckGo, Startpage acts as a proxy and executes the search query on Google on behalf of the user. However, the big difference between the two search engines can be seen in the results, because Startpage shows ads first and then the search results. However, the search engine provides additional security by allowing users to open search results in an anonymous view. Even external websites are opened on their behalf, so that the user, his location and the IP address remain anonymous.
Ecosia
The German company Ecosia takes a completely different approach with its search engine of the same name. Like other search engines, Ecosia also advertises, but the revenue is used to support charitable projects. Among other things, the proceeds are used to promote reforestation of the coastal forests in Madagascar or the Atlantic rainforest in Brazil. According to their own statements, around 45 search queries must be made in order to be able to plant a tree. A number below the search bar reveals the search queries made so far. However, unlike DuckDuckGo and Startpage, Ecosia pays less attention to user privacy. The displayed advertising is played out by Bing and personal data such as the IP address and search queries are also passed on to Bing.
Editorial office finanzen.net
Leverage must be between 2 and 20
No data
Image sources: JPstock / Shutterstock.com