Google gives insane amounts of CAPTCHAS which makes using google search on Tor or a VPN very annoying. Startpage also has a really cool anonymous view feature which I haven’t seen anywhere else.
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Then disable your VPN.
So basically a proxy where Startpage can see every website you visit? Okay then.
Why do that when I could just use a search engine that works well with a VPN and doesn’t blast CAPTCHAs everywhere.
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While trusting Google, Startpage, and your VPN provider instead of just Google and your ISP (whose probably more trustworthy than any commercial VPN).
Source? This is a bunch of nonsense. Your ISP is required by law to keep logs and Google’s entire business is advertising using your data. That’s why options like VPN providers and alternative search engines like Startpage are compelling. Even if Startpage is removed as a recommendation, that certainly doesn’t mean Google is better or should be recommended.
Stop cross posting unfounded rage bait in every topic here. Include sources for your claims.
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Startpage and DDG in effect proxy your searches. Google and Microsoft see the aggregate searches from all Startpage or DDG users. Not individual ones.
Now admittedly with this latest change on Startpage containing an identifier in some search result this system is broken. But it is a good system if it works.
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Source?
This is the only consolidated source I could find: https://www.cyberghostvpn.com/privacyhub/global-data-retention-laws/.
I’ve also ammended my initial statement to be more broad since laws differ by jurisdiction.
Broadly speaking they also tend to be some of the most anti-consumer companies around, at least in North America. They often hold monopolies allowing them to get a way with a lot of BS. Never should have been privatized in the first place but that’s a separate conversation.
@team this account is new and just spreads lies (like no Google and Microsoft can’t see your searches with SP/DDG, just all SP/DDG users combined which is quite different)
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This isn’t really a valid reason for keeping it. Like if Invidious started tracking users (or not protecting them from trackers by neglicence), we wouldn’t keep recommending them just because YT blocks VPN. Same here.
Agreed Anonymous View is cool, but not that useful+private browsing with a VPN anyway,
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DDG also uses Microsoft ads I don’t really think that should count as a point against startpage.
DDG and startpage have very similar privacy policies as well. I really think the ad link thing is being overblown here.
Search engines need some source of revenue, and unless they start charging like Kagi it’s going to be using some larger ad network like Microsoft or Google.
Factually wrong.
There are countries where VPNs do not have to log.
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This is actually the opposite of how things work.
The jurisdiction of the VPN provider generally takes precedence over the jurisdiction of individual servers. A VPN’s jurisdiction is determined by where the company is legally based or incorporated, not by the locations of its servers.
See
A country can always seize the VPN providers server. This is why having a VPN provider that does not log is so important. Since even if a server is seized there is no useful information.
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Even if you’re right about the Bing ad links, the srsltid tracker mentioned earlier is definitely not “overblown”. Even if the Bing ad link thing is done by every search engine, the srsltid tracker can be found in non-ad search results too. It’s not just ads where this kind of stuff happened, and when combined with the System1 acquisition, the fingerprinting incident, the sketchy browser, and the sponsorships, more of these trackers in normal search results, not just ad links, is absolutely cause for concern.
Okay, so you’re basically saying that some privacy companies are shady, therefore let your ISP, Google, and whoever else collect all of your information, and making false claims about how this stuff even works.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Google got the info about Startpage users anyway at this point, but that’s not going to be because of them using Google’s search index; might be the srsltid tracker.
Startpage hasn’t responded about that tracker? This is the one that worries me a bit (maybe it wouldn’t be so bad without other shady behaviour like their app).
Worse. They claimed they were investigating then ghosted me.
At this point I just wish that Startpage was already removed so I wouldn’t see this thread coming up every once in a while.