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DuckDuckGo Is Now a Default Search Engine Option on Android in the EU

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Re: DuckDuckGo Is Now a Default Search Engine Option on Android in the EU

#151

Post by erikbye »

Vinnl wrote: post #127
blululu wrote: post #76

Something that doesn't sit well with me about DuckDuckGo is their hidden use of affiliate links to Amazon and eBay. Fundamentally search engines are vulnerable to predatory business models. Privacy is one issue. Providing financially motivated information is another. To my knowledge (would love to hear more), Google is pretty up front about what is an ad and what isn't while DuckDuckGo covertly sells you to Amazon wh…

I don't know what you intend "hidden" to mean, but they're not lying about it: > DuckDuckGo is part of the affiliate programs of the eCommerce websites Amazon and eBay. When you visit those sites through DuckDuckGo, including when using !bangs, and subsequently make a purchase, we receive a small commission. > This mechanism operates anonymously and there is no personally identifiable information exchanged between us…

Qwant does this, too.

Re: DuckDuckGo Is Now a Default Search Engine Option on Android in the EU

#152

Post by londons_explore »

skinkestek wrote: post #142
bishalb wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can confirm that Google doesn't honor quotes as it used to for exact match search these days. It's a hit and miss.

Can someone who knows about the inside of Google tell us why this happened, and especially why it happens when verbatim mode is used alone or in addition to double quotes? I can kind of see why double quotes could be confusing for people pasting without being aware of the double quotes rule, but ignoring verbatim outright as has been the standard for years now is even more confusing to me.

Usually when people have this concern, it's because the page they are looking for does not exist.

I'd like to see examples where you do a search looking for a specific page, either with or without verbatim or double-quotes, and then find it via some other query. Sure, it happens, but it's very rare.

Re: DuckDuckGo Is Now a Default Search Engine Option on Android in the EU

#153

Post by zyx321 »

inertiatic wrote: post #91
franga2000 wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As long as they don't alter the search results to give those links an advantage, I have no problem with them using affiliate links. It makes them money to absolutely no loss to me, right?

If for convenience I search for "Amazon product X" on my browser bar instead of directly on Amazon, that means that in order for Amazon to generate a certain amount of profit on that product they also have to pay my search engine now, which means all other things equal, this costs me money. Of course in real life it's not that simple a situation but it's easy to see that everyone behaving like this ends up with the c…

The price on Amazon is based on what the market will pay. If they could charge more, they would do so.

The only one losing money is Jeff Bezos.

Re: DuckDuckGo Is Now a Default Search Engine Option on Android in the EU

#154

Post by londons_explore »

LeoPanthera wrote: post #108
surround wrote: post #37

How is Apple getting away with iOS? Unlike Android, you cannot cannot change the default browser, maps, messaging apps or anything.

Apple added DuckDuckGo as an option for the default search engine in iOS 8, over 5 years ago.

The issue here is not if the user can choose a search engine, but if the user is forced to choose a search engine before they're allowed to use the phone.

Apple does not require that.

Re: DuckDuckGo Is Now a Default Search Engine Option on Android in the EU

#156

Post by londons_explore »

akersten wrote: post #59
surround wrote: post #37

How is Apple getting away with iOS? Unlike Android, you cannot cannot change the default browser, maps, messaging apps or anything.

My take is it's a consequence of their vertical integration. Maybe they saw all along, by not even allowing the option to change, there's no way they could be forced to present a rolodex of possible choices - since there's only one choice that works. You always had the choice with Android, it just had a default. That didn't smell good to regulators in the EU, and they saw an easy option out of that. Telling Apple to…

European laws are far more flexible and open to interpretation. At these high levels, the enforcement of the laws is mostly chosen by the will of the people.

Ask 100 Europeans if they think Google is doing something unfair and should be fined, and more will say yes than the same of Apple. Then the regulators just need to find some basis for said fine the people are asking for.

Re: DuckDuckGo Is Now a Default Search Engine Option on Android in the EU

#157

Post by heavenlyhash »

I find it very interesting that the comments here on HN so far are predominated by discussion of "privacy".

The article is about anti-trust regulation.

These are different things.

Regardless of what you might think about the privacy of any particular option today, the point of this change is to make sure more choice is available and visible to users. In the long run, it's worth remembering that such choice might be a prerequisite for more privacy-oriented services to have a chance to grow. This is the case even if you don't regard any of the current options highly.

Re: DuckDuckGo Is Now a Default Search Engine Option on Android in the EU

#158

Post by Fnoord »

leereeves wrote: post #18
lipstone wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like a low value proposition if their most enticing feature is the ability to view Google results. Moreover, if Google added a "!d" command to show DuckDuckGo results, I can't imagine anyone would use it. A negligible number of people are willing to sacrifice tangible functionality for intangible feelings of privacy that almost certainly will never impact them in any meaningful way. DuckDuckGo needs to make…

Bangs offer a lot more than just !g. It's actually easier to use some Google services via DDG than via Google itself. For example, the easiest way to access Google Scholar is to use DDG and add !scholar to your search. Likewise for Google Translate and !translate. Like: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=hasta+la+vista+!translate&t=ffab Then there are all the non-Google bangs. !a to search Amazon. !hn to search Hacker News. A…

DDG bangs [1] and Google Dorks (I just use the nickname bangs en dorks for either) are both very powerful. For me, Google complements DDG; not the other way around. I do agree with the desire for a European-hosted search engine though.

[1] https://duckduckgo.com/bang

Re: DuckDuckGo Is Now a Default Search Engine Option on Android in the EU

#159

Post by Fnoord »

raverbashing wrote: post #147
nunobrito wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Which company would accept (and pay for that) given there's no legal requirement for it? Maybe relevant for a company whose business model is built around the promise of preserving end-user privacy? > I don't see why Data storage and network communication occurring inside the European space alone, rather than sending packets from European users to elsewhere unknown. Being fully accountable to European law, with bas…

> When looking at other alternatives such as Ecosia, Qwant W.r.t. them I agree, but have they been subject to a 3rd party audit (honest question, I'm not familiar with them)? I'm not saying we should trust DDG (or any search engine) 100% without proof, but the best way of keeping your privacy is not collecting data and it seems DDG is doing that.

We don't know what they are collecting. They could just as well be an NSA front and easily profile based on IP searches. In the end, American companies bend to US law. That is why Europeans should desire a European alternative in the first place. The workaround is using Tor.
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