What do you use for searching for anything online? Google? Most of us do! Google is indeed the most popular and used search engine around the world. It offers various tools and apps that you have made accounts on, be it for storing your docs, photos, search history, passwords, credentials, and much more. Do you know all this information is stored and never deleted? And it’s even not just about Google, the same goes with Yahoos, Bing, and most of the popular search engines you may use. Your location, credentials, and online activity are stored on these search engines and sometimes shared with third-party websites or advertisers using your cookies to target specific ads on you.
This means you’re in control of these search engines, especially for what you see online. This is why many people prefer to use private search engines to keep their online activity private and secure. In this blog, learn everything about these search engines that you may need to know and discover the best private search engines for your secure browsing.
Your data collected by Google according to its privacy policy
- IP addresses
- User agents
- Distinctive identifiers (found in search phrases, cookies, and browser fingerprinting)
- Location information
- Terms you search for
- Videos you watch
- Your interactions with content or ads
- Voice and audio information
- Purchase activity
- People you converse or share content with
- Behaviour on separate websites and applications that make use of [their] services
- Your Chrome browsing history that is synced with the Google Account
What are private search engines?
Private search engines are search engines that do not store your specific information including IP addresses, credentials, and other online activities. They respect the user’s privacy and keep it completely private. Therefore, no storing or sharing of user data! Discover some of the best and most popular private search engines available for secure browsing.
Best private search engines
Let’s explore some of the best private search engines:
Startpage
A robust alternative to Google, Startpage delivers high-quality search results while strictly adhering to user privacy. It does not collect any personal data or IP addresses. Notably, Startpage’s Anonymous View mode shields users from website tracking, ensuring a private experience. Additionally, it offers instant answer tools like weather updates, translations, stock trackers, and a currency converter.
DuckDuckGo
Widely popular, DuckDuckGo boasts a 100% transparent privacy policy. It utilises powerful Google technology without tracking users, making it an excellent choice for privacy-conscious individuals.
Swisscows
Operating its own servers, Swisscows customises searches for child-friendly content while maintaining privacy.
Are private search engines completely private?
The search engine’s business model determines its level of privacy. Non-private search engines make money by employing ad targeting and disclosing your information to outside parties. Private search engines do not collect your information or follow you. They reduce your digital footprint and provide you with more objective results that aren’t influenced by their marketing tactics.
Need to use a VPN on private search engines
Search engines occasionally gather data and update your user profile even if you are using a VPN. This is the result of doing a Google search while simultaneously logging into your Google account. Use NordVPN for enhanced anonymity on your private search engine!
Using a VPN together with a private search engine is safer for browsing as it masks your IP address and secures your online activity completely. Therefore, you are completely private online and no one can snoop in anyhow. NordVPN is a top-rated VPN provider and our best pick as it has passed independent privacy and security audits. It’s also the fastest among all VPN providers to date. Choose NordVPN for 360-degree online protection!
Why use NordVPN on a private search engine?
NordVPN is a powerful tool for enhancing your privacy when using a private search engine. Here’s why it’s beneficial:
Anonymity
Your internet traffic is encrypted and routed through NordVPN’s servers when you connect. By doing this, you protect your IP address and make sure search engines are unable to follow your online actions. Opt for NordVPN for complete anonymity while browsing!
Protection from Tracking
Private search engines do not collect your personal information as they put the privacy of their users first. You can use NordVPN along with them for an additional degree of security for your internet connection and online data. Some websites you visit may monitor you even if the search engine doesn’t. This is avoided by NordVPN by hiding your IP address. Prevent your online activity from getting tracked with NordVPN!
Geo-Restrictions
With NordVPN, you can easily connect with the servers of different countries in seconds. Hence, you can access search results or content that might be restricted in your region. Like if you’re in an organisation and want to get search results in the US, you can connect to a US server using NordVPN and get the desired results.
Avoiding Censorship
In some regions, search engines and websites are subject to government censorship. NordVPN helps you bypass these restrictions by allowing you to connect to servers in countries with more open internet access.
Secure Public Wi-Fi
When you’re using public Wi-Fi, your online activity is prone to hack or theft, but with NordVPN your internet connection remains encrypted and completely secure.
Privacy Across Devices
It is compatible with several devices such as Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, etc and you can connect various devices with one NordVPN account. Hence, you get to protect many devices at once with NordVPN. Get NordVPN to secure all your devices at once!
Conclusion
If you want to browse the web privately, you can simply use a private search engine. And using a VPN along with it gives you robust security and privacy. So, if you don’t want to get targeted ads or content or browse the web anonymously, you can use private search engines along with NordVPN which gives you 24/7 security while being online. Subscribe to NordVPN and start using it on your private search engine now!
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