The Best Private Search Engines for Privacy and Safety
In the digital age, the internet is what helps us find whatever we might need with the use of search engines. There are various types of search engines which have different algorithms and calculations to arrive at specific searches.
In this article, we will be discussing some of the best private search engines you can find on the web. But before we get into that topic, what is a search engine?
What is a search engine?
A search engine is a tool that can be accessed over the internet and is used to find information on the World Wide Web (www). Famous examples of search engines are Google, Yahoo, MSN, and Bing. Search engines are what give you the information you need. By just typing-in your query, you’ll be given a list of results you can use to locate the information you require.
Then if you require to access a different website, a search engine will display an item corresponding to that very website.
How do search engines work?
Search engines utilize different and unique mathematical algorithms and formulas to arrive at specific search results. After searching, the results are then displayed on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) and then can be used by people for their own usage.
As we have mentioned, a search engine has its own unique algorithm and mathematical formula to generate its search results. This means that what a top ranking Google search does not guarantee a top ranking in bing, and vice versa.
A peek at private search engines
Since there are search engines, there are also private search engines. The difference between the two is that the latter does not store, gather, and track every user’s activity. Furthermore, private search engines also deliver results with extra protection.
Just like normal search engines, there are different private search engines, too. And if you ever need to use one, you can choose from the top private search engines you can find on the web.
DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo can be considered to be the most well-known alternative search engine. It is considered to be a powerful but secure search tool. It gathers from over 400 sources which include Wikipedia, bing, and Yahoo.
It has a cool feature called “!bangs” which will redirect users to other search engines. For instance, if you want to search for “American History” on Wikipedia, you can just search “!W American History” and you’ll directly be taken to the correct Wikipedia page.
Search Encrpyt
If the search engine name doesn’t sound secure to you, I don’t know what is. Search Encrypt is a private search engine which utilizes its own encryption methods to secure searches. In addition, it uses SSL encryption partnered up with AES-256 for an added layer of security.
Compared to other private search engines, Search Encrypt does a better job in encrypting your searches. It’s secure that after you’re done searching, the search terms won’t stick around.
Gibiru
Google, being the leading search engine in the world, is open to the fact that they track searches made in their system. Gibiru, on the other hand, is a private search engine that sources its results via a modified Google search formula.
Gibiru arrives at accurate and reliable search results without gathering and tracking the searches, opposite to what big search engines do.
Searx.me
Just like DuckDuckGo, Searx.Me is a metasearch engine. What this means is that it uses a combination of popular search results. However, the only difference is that it erases all identifiable data from the request – keeping you anonymous from other search engines.
If that still doesn’t make you feel safe, their terms of service say that they “don’t care about what you search for.” Literally no record of your search will be kept and stored.
Disconnect Search
Similar to other smaller search engines, Disconnect Search generates results off of other search engines. Moreover, the engine will allow you to choose the specific search engine you want to use. What’s the difference, you may ask? Well, they send the query to the search engine anonymously.
It even has a feature that it displays the results in the style of the search engine you selected. It has a more appealing look than any of the private search engines we’ve seen above.
QWant
QWant is a private search engine that is proud to say that they never try to guess who you are and what you’re doing. You guessed it right, they also do not store or record your searches; they won’t use your personal data for advertising or any other purpose.
Just like DuckDuckGo’s “!bangs” feature, QWant also has a Qwick search feature which allows users to directly search for what they want without the fear of their information being gathered and stored.
Yippy
Yippy is a private search engine dedicated to categorizing your search results. It immediately filters the results, categorizes them to flag inappropriate and inaccurate results in an urgent manner. One good thing about Yippy is that it doesn’t display any advertisements you’d expect you’d see in every corner of the web.
The main downside is that Yippy won’t display huge amounts of results. The results generated are targeted and are specific to what you’re really just looking for.
Isn’t Incognito private enough?
We all have tried using incognito for various personal reasons. But I’m pretty certain that you’ve also read there that even if you’re on incognito, you’re still vulnerable to the websites you visit. That being said, going incognito won’t actually give you the type of privacy you are looking for.
That’s where private search engines come in. In using private search engines, you can be sure that the searches you’ve made won’t stick around in the database. You won’t randomly see an advertisement connected to your recent searches on Facebook and on other websites.
High-ranking and big websites such as Google and Facebook are continually improving their ability to track. And we know that whatever you do online has a certain risk of leaking your personal and sensitive information. So, it’s better to be safe than sorry; if you want to be anonymous on your next search, try using private search engines instead.