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What you are looking for on the Internet is your own business. Therefore, it is worthwhile to make sure once again that no one is tracking your search queries.
When we want to find something on the web, we go "google". People use the Google search engine by default - it has become so popular that a corresponding verb has even appeared in Russian (as in the case of Photoshop). But using Google to find the information you want comes with a big privacy tradeoff.
Google's business, of course, is driven by advertising. Every search you make is recorded in your profile, which is used for targeted advertising. Although the company does not share information with marketing firms about what searches you perform, Google uses this data to understand what products or services you might be interested in.
Google is already taking steps to reduce the amount of data it collects. For example, the company has developed special tools to automatically delete user history after a certain period of time. It is worth noting that you can completely get rid of Google tracking by using another search engine that will not record your queries. However, if you are not ready for this kind of change, there are several ways you can limit the amount of data that the company collects as much as possible.
Brave search
Already a popular privacy-focused browser, Brave has developed its own search engine. While this is only a beta version, it is quite possible that users will encounter a lot of errors and technical problems while using the search engine. It is worth saying that even now Brave Search looks impressive - it provides a safe and confidential search for information, while the results obtained fully correspond to the entered query.
The search engine does not log your queries . This, of course, can make the search less convenient: for example, Google automatically knows that you are more interested in the Miami Dolphins team than these beautiful animals, but you can surf the web without worrying about seeing targeted ads.
“We cannot share, sell or lose your data because we simply don’t collect it,” says Brave. While ads may appear on the service soon, these ads will not rely on what you were looking for on the Internet. This is what makes Brave Search different from Google.
You can access the Brave search engine in any web browser and on any device (you don't even need to download Brave to do this). The interface is quite simple and straightforward: enter your query, click on the "Search" button and wait until the results appear in front of you. You can search for images, news or videos, and specific websites using the buttons at the top of the results page.
At the top of the page, you will see a drop-down menu - you can use it to filter the results by location and page refresh time. Depending on which keywords you used, you may see the " Results for my region " option in front of you - the search engine will temporarily use your IP address to display results based on your location. It is worth noting that your IP address will not be saved - as soon as you close the Brave Search tab, all information will be deleted.
DuckDuckGo Search
DuckDuckGo has been around for longer than Brave Search, so this search engine has many more options. Its purpose is the same: to help you carry out a safe and private search for information, without logging the entered queries. DuckDuckGo draws on data from hundreds of different sources, including the Microsoft Bing search engine and Apple Maps .
As with Brave Search, your searches are not logged - every time you open the DuckDuckGo portal, you become a new user. You may notice ads next to search results, but these ads are not targeted. Moreover, the advertisers who are responsible for their placement don't know anything about you.
“Our privacy policy is very simple: we do not collect or share your personal information with anyone,” says DuckDuckGo. The company also develops extensions and mobile applications for Android and iOS. You do not need to create an account with this service. Plus, you won't find your search history anywhere on DuckDuckGo, making it impossible to monetize it. Currently, the portal processes about 80 million requests per day.
DuckDuckGo is very easy to use: enter your query in the search box and hit the Enter key to get the matching results. For specific searches, such as celebrity names or locations that can be found on a map, you may see additional options next to the main search results. For thematic queries, a news search is suitable.
Above the search results, you will see ways to filter the information found. You can focus on images, videos, news, locations or products, and set filters based on location or when the page was last refreshed. In the settings menu on the right, you can change the look of the results page and other DuckDuckGo options.
How to limit data collection by Google
It's worth keeping in mind that if you're using Google Chrome and you're signed in to your Google account , you can sync your DuckDuckGo or Brave Search searches with that account. Your search history on Google and the history of visited sites in Chrome will be combined, because the company syncs them by default, in part for the convenience of using the search engine on multiple devices at the same time.
To prevent your requests from syncing, click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the browser and go to settings. If you see that you are already signed in to your Google account, click on the "Disconnect" button - this will break the link between your Google account and your browser. In addition, you will also be given the option to delete all data stored locally on your device (including your browsing history, bookmarks and saved passwords).
There is another option - to use another browser, for example, the same Brave. Decent cross-platform alternatives to Chrome are Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Safari, but whichever one you switch to, be sure to check the settings for deleting your browsing history.
Whichever browser you ultimately decide to use, incognito mode can prevent your searches from registering - as soon as you close the window, all information will be deleted. Keep in mind that this does not always prevent companies from tracking your requests. If you sign in to your Google account in incognito mode, Google can still track you.
If you are unable to opt out of the search results that Google provides you, you can at least ensure that the information about your searches is not stored for long. Open your Google Account Settings page, then go to Data & Personalization > Your Actions & Activity. Here you can delete the history of visited sites manually or select the option to automatically delete it after a certain time.
When we want to find something on the web, we go "google". People use the Google search engine by default - it has become so popular that a corresponding verb has even appeared in Russian (as in the case of Photoshop). But using Google to find the information you want comes with a big privacy tradeoff.
Google's business, of course, is driven by advertising. Every search you make is recorded in your profile, which is used for targeted advertising. Although the company does not share information with marketing firms about what searches you perform, Google uses this data to understand what products or services you might be interested in.
Google is already taking steps to reduce the amount of data it collects. For example, the company has developed special tools to automatically delete user history after a certain period of time. It is worth noting that you can completely get rid of Google tracking by using another search engine that will not record your queries. However, if you are not ready for this kind of change, there are several ways you can limit the amount of data that the company collects as much as possible.
Brave search
Already a popular privacy-focused browser, Brave has developed its own search engine. While this is only a beta version, it is quite possible that users will encounter a lot of errors and technical problems while using the search engine. It is worth saying that even now Brave Search looks impressive - it provides a safe and confidential search for information, while the results obtained fully correspond to the entered query.
The search engine does not log your queries . This, of course, can make the search less convenient: for example, Google automatically knows that you are more interested in the Miami Dolphins team than these beautiful animals, but you can surf the web without worrying about seeing targeted ads.
“We cannot share, sell or lose your data because we simply don’t collect it,” says Brave. While ads may appear on the service soon, these ads will not rely on what you were looking for on the Internet. This is what makes Brave Search different from Google.
You can access the Brave search engine in any web browser and on any device (you don't even need to download Brave to do this). The interface is quite simple and straightforward: enter your query, click on the "Search" button and wait until the results appear in front of you. You can search for images, news or videos, and specific websites using the buttons at the top of the results page.
At the top of the page, you will see a drop-down menu - you can use it to filter the results by location and page refresh time. Depending on which keywords you used, you may see the " Results for my region " option in front of you - the search engine will temporarily use your IP address to display results based on your location. It is worth noting that your IP address will not be saved - as soon as you close the Brave Search tab, all information will be deleted.
DuckDuckGo Search
DuckDuckGo has been around for longer than Brave Search, so this search engine has many more options. Its purpose is the same: to help you carry out a safe and private search for information, without logging the entered queries. DuckDuckGo draws on data from hundreds of different sources, including the Microsoft Bing search engine and Apple Maps .
As with Brave Search, your searches are not logged - every time you open the DuckDuckGo portal, you become a new user. You may notice ads next to search results, but these ads are not targeted. Moreover, the advertisers who are responsible for their placement don't know anything about you.
“Our privacy policy is very simple: we do not collect or share your personal information with anyone,” says DuckDuckGo. The company also develops extensions and mobile applications for Android and iOS. You do not need to create an account with this service. Plus, you won't find your search history anywhere on DuckDuckGo, making it impossible to monetize it. Currently, the portal processes about 80 million requests per day.
DuckDuckGo is very easy to use: enter your query in the search box and hit the Enter key to get the matching results. For specific searches, such as celebrity names or locations that can be found on a map, you may see additional options next to the main search results. For thematic queries, a news search is suitable.
Above the search results, you will see ways to filter the information found. You can focus on images, videos, news, locations or products, and set filters based on location or when the page was last refreshed. In the settings menu on the right, you can change the look of the results page and other DuckDuckGo options.
How to limit data collection by Google
It's worth keeping in mind that if you're using Google Chrome and you're signed in to your Google account , you can sync your DuckDuckGo or Brave Search searches with that account. Your search history on Google and the history of visited sites in Chrome will be combined, because the company syncs them by default, in part for the convenience of using the search engine on multiple devices at the same time.
To prevent your requests from syncing, click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the browser and go to settings. If you see that you are already signed in to your Google account, click on the "Disconnect" button - this will break the link between your Google account and your browser. In addition, you will also be given the option to delete all data stored locally on your device (including your browsing history, bookmarks and saved passwords).
There is another option - to use another browser, for example, the same Brave. Decent cross-platform alternatives to Chrome are Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Safari, but whichever one you switch to, be sure to check the settings for deleting your browsing history.
Whichever browser you ultimately decide to use, incognito mode can prevent your searches from registering - as soon as you close the window, all information will be deleted. Keep in mind that this does not always prevent companies from tracking your requests. If you sign in to your Google account in incognito mode, Google can still track you.
If you are unable to opt out of the search results that Google provides you, you can at least ensure that the information about your searches is not stored for long. Open your Google Account Settings page, then go to Data & Personalization > Your Actions & Activity. Here you can delete the history of visited sites manually or select the option to automatically delete it after a certain time.
