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Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo grew by 46% in 2021

bleepingcomputer.com

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Re: Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo grew by 46% in 2021

#51
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Not a lot because of privacy, something about that company ticks me off in terms of privacy. Ditto, I just want something that isn't Google. That company has too many fingers in too many pies. DuckDuckGo isn't more private. That is like when Google was serious about the Don't Be Evil slogan - there is nothing technically stopping them and sooner or later principles get worn down by reality (commercial, political or…

I could be incorrect in my assumption here so please let me know: I assume as a user of DDG that they aren't collecting data on me. However back when Google was following their motto and young, they WERE still collecting data, weren't they? If that's true (IF) then that would make this an unfair comparison. If DDG eventually erodes their morals and stops caring about privacy then I could just stop using them and they…

>... why not use them now while they don't rather than giving in and just using Google and accepting the surveillance?

That user sounds like they do use DDG but are cautious about how their business model may change in the future. They even think more people should be using it:

>I argue that people should use DuckDuckGo.

They're just advocating for awareness. If anything, their stance is what all of us who regularly use DDG should take, so that DDG is aware that their userbase would be likely to seek other alternatives should they change their ways. It keeps the pressure on them to "do right".

Re: Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo grew by 46% in 2021

#52
post #20

Neeva is another option for privacy minded folks. Plus it is ad free, and Neeva is also much more than just a wrapper around Bing results. Disclaimer: I work on Neeva :)

I don't have that much of a problem with unobtrusive ads, but I do have a problem with data hoarding. How does Neeva tackle this?

You are in complete control.

See the FAQ for more details (https://neeva.com/faq), but the main takeaway is data saved by Neeva is only to improve the product for you and you have the option to clear or disable such functionality. Neeva is just really transparent about that.

Neeva is a tool for you and no one else. Products that show you ads can’t make such claims.

Re: Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo grew by 46% in 2021

#53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is everyone trolling me? I’m simply asking for a reputable source stating that google is censoring their search results.

Search for "Encyclopedia dramatica" on Google, and then on Bing or Duck. Search for Rise of the Moors on Google, and then on Bing or Duck. You can repeat this for other controversial content, and you'll notice a trend: Google suppresses the controversial content entirely (e.g., Encyclopedia dramatica), or shows it after at least one "authoritative" result about it (e.g., Rise of the Moors). Whereas Bing and Duck have…

[deleted]

Re: Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo grew by 46% in 2021

#54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Feel like “reputable” is loaded here lol I’ve had it happen before in searches where I’ll see something and can’t find it on google, but can easily find it on DuckDuckGo. Idk here’s something for you: https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2018/10/09/the-good-censor-le... There are leaked slides showing the intent to censor. Not sure if this is “reputable” enough, but there is something.

> Not sure if this is “reputable” enough The fact that Breitbart is your first choice says plenty.

Lol they link to source documentation. Imo it’s a fine source, because it links to the material. CNN on the other hand never does. Go ahead search cnn right now, always self referencing, aka they are “truth”, “trust us” -_-

Anyway, this was the first hit on DuckDuckGo related to google censorship. It was the first “choice” that a different engine presented me — kinda shows the problem with the political hostilities, no?

Re: Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo grew by 46% in 2021

#55
I noticed several billboard ads for duckduckgo in my town since last year. Over the years, they also made their message clear, it is all about privacy, not bangs, not applets, or anything else duckduckgo is also good at.

I don't know how they advertise in other media but clearly, there is a serious marketing campaign going on, and it looks successful. That can explain the growth.

Re: Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo grew by 46% in 2021

#56
DDG is my default on my devices, but at this point I've just defaulted to !g-ing every search query just because of how often DDG is not up to the mark.

I like the convenience of those Google quick answer box excerpts. And DDG is TERRIBLE for anything remotely regional, and I don't expect it to be fixed anytime in the next decade because I currently live in what's technically a third-world country, so I doubt they'll allocate any resources towards fixing it.

Essentially at this point I only use DDG for the bangs. !g for web search, and others for everything else.

Yes, Google search results have been getting worse. But in my experience, they're still better than anything else out there.

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Re: Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo grew by 46% in 2021

#57
post #13

I always question myself about how much DDG can improve theirs results until the Bing backend becomes the problem.

I'm confused about this... are you saying DDG is doing something on their own? I always thought they are simply a shell for Bing search.

Re: Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo grew by 46% in 2021

#58
post #55

I noticed several billboard ads for duckduckgo in my town since last year. Over the years, they also made their message clear, it is all about privacy, not bangs, not applets, or anything else duckduckgo is also good at. I don't know how they advertise in other media but clearly, there is a serious marketing campaign going on, and it looks successful. That can explain the growth.

That feels fishy somehow... how exactly are they paying for the advertisement? DDG is free to use, which usually means customers (their data) are the product. Is there an in-depth analysis somewhere of what exactly is their business model (where is the money coming from)?

Re: Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo grew by 46% in 2021

#59
I switched to DuckDuckGo gradually a few years ago, starting on iOS. I was fed up with Amp pages in Google search results—using DDG made them go away. As some other commenters have mentioned, for some queries it’s painfully obvious how bad the DDG results are, and for things like sports results it’s super convenient to have those Google embeds. But the vast majority of my searches go through DDG, and it’s fine. It’s nice that when I search for say some specific car model, I don’t start seeing YouTube recommended videos about reviews for that car later in the day (unless I explicitly search on YouTube).

Re: Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo grew by 46% in 2021

#60
I really wish FRAND search APIs were mandated. This would enable new companies to compete on privacy and UX, and even make partly-FOSS solutions viable.

Probably won’t happen unless/until Google angers enough legislators, so for now I’m trying Neeva. The iOS browser is still very much Beta quality, but the search experience has been pretty good.

Not seeing ads has been refreshing, but I wish there was a way to say “don’t show this website in search results” and sync that across devices. Even better, let users vote on what’s relevant and high-quality, rather than let websites play the SEO game.

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