List of Alternative Search Engines
Google. Manipulative. Insufferable. Doing evil.
StartPage and DuckDuckGo (and maybe others) directly use and are not independent from google data.
https://yandex.com
The Yandex search engine is owned and controlled by a consortium of Russian investors. This change in ownership occurred in early 2024 when Yandex N.V., the Dutch parent company of the Yandex group, agreed to sell all its Russia-based assets, including the search engine, to the consortium. This group includes members of the senior management team of Yandex’s Russian businesses, PJSC Lukoil, and Russian entrepreneurs Alexander Chachava, Pavel Prass, and Alexander Ryazanov.
Yandex’s data comes from its own technology and infrastructure. The company has built and maintained a robust search engine using proprietary algorithms and machine learning technologies. It operates one of the largest search engines globally, with a significant market share in Russia and other CIS countries.
https://mojeek.com
The search engine Mojeek is owned and operated by Mojeek Limited, a UK-based company founded by Marc Smith in 2004. Mojeek is notable for being an independent, crawler-based search engine that provides its own search results without relying on other search engines like Google or Bing. This independence allows Mojeek to offer unbiased search results and maintain a strict no-tracking privacy policy, ensuring that user data is not collected or stored.
Mojeek’s search data comes from its own web index, which it has built and maintained using its proprietary technology and algorithms. As of recent updates, Mojeek has indexed over seven billion pages, continuing to expand its database while adhering to its privacy-focused principles.
https://bing.com
The Bing search engine is owned and operated by Microsoft. Originally launched in 2009, Bing evolved from Microsoft’s earlier search engines, including MSN Search and Windows Live Search. Bing offers a wide range of search services, including web, video, image, and map searches.
Bing’s data comes from its own search algorithms and technology infrastructure. Additionally, Bing powers Yahoo! Search through a partnership agreement, and it has integrated various artificial intelligence technologies, notably through its collaboration with OpenAI.
https://yahoo.com
The Yahoo search engine is owned and controlled by Apollo Global Management, which holds a 90% stake, while Verizon Communications retains the remaining 10%. Yahoo provides a variety of services, including its web portal, search engine, email, news, finance, and sports services.
Yahoo’s search data primarily comes from partnerships with other search engine providers and its internal search technologies. Historically, Yahoo has used search technology from Google, then developed its own search technologies, and has also partnered with Microsoft’s Bing for search results in certain regions.
https://scholar.google.com
Supposedly somewhat “smarter” sources (and therefore results) yet still google.
https://brave.com
The Brave search engine is owned and controlled by Brave Software, Inc., the same company that develops the Brave web browser. Brave acquired the Tailcat search engine from Cliqz, a German company owned by Hubert Burda Media, in 2021 to build Brave Search. Tailcat provides the foundation for Brave Search, designed to ensure privacy by not tracking users or collecting personal data.
Brave Search uses its independent index to generate search results, meaning it does not rely on data from Google or other major search engines. However, for more comprehensive coverage, about 8% of its results are supplemented from third-party sources like Bing, while users can also opt to have their queries anonymously checked against Google’s index.
https://startpage.com
The search engine Startpage is owned and controlled by Surfboard Holding B.V., a company based in the Netherlands. In December 2018, Startpage became a part of System1, a U.S.-based ad-tech company. Despite this acquisition, Startpage maintains that it operates as an independent business unit within System1, with its core privacy practices and data handling managed by its team in the Netherlands to ensure compliance with Dutch and EU privacy laws.
Startpage retrieves its search results from Google but anonymizes user data before making requests, thereby protecting user privacy. This setup allows Startpage to provide high-quality search results while ensuring that users’ personal information is not stored or tracked.
https://duckduckgo.com
DuckDuckGo is owned and controlled by Duck Duck Go, Inc., an independent company founded by Gabriel Weinberg in 2008. Weinberg, an MIT graduate, serves as the CEO of the company. The company is headquartered in Paoli, Pennsylvania.
DuckDuckGo differentiates itself by emphasizing user privacy. It does not track users’ search history or personal data. The search engine pulls its results from a variety of sources, including over 400 websites, its own web crawler, and partners like Bing, Yahoo, and Yandex. For map and address-related searches, DuckDuckGo uses Apple Maps.
https://onesearch.com
The OneSearch search engine is owned and controlled by Yahoo, previously known as Verizon Media. OneSearch was launched by Verizon Media in January 2020, emphasizing privacy features. The search engine is designed to not track, store, or share users’ personal or search data with advertisers, making it a privacy-focused alternative in the market.
OneSearch’s data primarily comes from Bing, as it uses Bing’s search results while adding its own privacy-enhancing measures. These measures include encrypted search terms and a feature that ensures search results links expire within an hour when advanced privacy mode is enabled.
https://gibiru.com
Gibiru is owned and controlled by a private company founded by Steven Ray Marshall in 2008. It operates as an uncensored, anonymous search engine, emphasizing user privacy and freedom from big tech censorship. Gibiru claims not to store search queries on its servers, erasing records within seconds of a search being performed.
Gibiru’s search data is believed to come from Google, as suggested by its requirement for enabling Google JavaScript to display search results. Additionally, Gibiru uses Google ads, indicating a dependency on Google’s infrastructure for its search functionalities.
https://metager.com
MetaGer is owned and controlled by SUMA-EV, a German non-profit organization dedicated to free access to knowledge. The search engine was initially developed as a research project at the University of Hannover and later transferred to SUMA-EV in 2012. MetaGer operates as a privacy-focused metasearch engine that aggregates results from multiple search engines, ensuring comprehensive and unbiased search outcomes while maintaining user privacy.
MetaGer does not track or store personal data, and it provides additional privacy features like an anonymizing proxy service and access through the Tor network. The search engine uses various sources, including its own crawlers and other search engines, to compile its results.
https://seekr.com
Seekr is owned and controlled by Seekr Technologies, Inc., a privately held artificial intelligence company. Founded in 2020, Seekr specializes in content evaluation and generation tools designed to provide trustworthy information at scale. The company is based in Vienna, Virginia, and focuses on transparency, reliability, and reducing bias through its AI-driven search engine.
Seekr’s data primarily comes from its independent search index, which the company is developing to ensure users receive unbiased search results. The search engine employs AI to evaluate the reliability of content, providing users with a Seekr Score and Political Lean Indicator to help them make informed decisions about the information they consume.
https://swisscows.com
Swisscows is owned and controlled by Swisscows AG, a stock corporation based in Egnach, Switzerland. The company focuses on providing a privacy-oriented search engine that does not track user data or store personal information. Swisscows is designed to be a family-friendly search engine, filtering out inappropriate content to ensure safe browsing for users of all ages.
The search data for Swisscows comes from a combination of its own search index and an exclusive partnership with Bing, which provides additional search results. This setup allows Swisscows to deliver comprehensive search results while maintaining its commitment to user privacy and anonymity.
https://dogpile.com
Dogpile is owned and controlled by System1, a digital media and technology company that specializes in user acquisition through data-driven strategies. Dogpile, launched in 1996, operates as a metasearch engine, meaning it aggregates results from several search engines, including Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and others, to provide comprehensive search results.
Dogpile does not maintain its own index of web pages. Instead, it retrieves search results from other search engines and presents them to users. This approach allows Dogpile to combine the strengths of multiple search engines, offering a broad range of results from various sources.
https://ecosia.com
Ecosia is owned and controlled by Ecosia GmbH, a not-for-profit company based in Berlin, Germany. It was founded by Christian Kroll in 2009 with the mission of using advertising revenue to fund tree-planting projects. Ecosia is structured as a steward-ownership company, ensuring that it cannot be sold or take profits out of the company, remaining dedicated to its environmental mission indefinitely.
Ecosia’s search results are primarily sourced from Microsoft’s Bing, supplemented by its own search index and algorithms. This partnership allows Ecosia to provide comprehensive search results while focusing on privacy and sustainability. Ecosia uses the revenue generated from ads displayed alongside search results to fund its tree-planting initiatives. To date, the company has planted over 200 million trees worldwide.
https://qwant.com
https://naver.com
South Korean. LOL.
https://baidu.com
Chinese. Likely worse than all. Kissinger identified China as the “model society” going forward.
Open Source
OpenSearch
GigaBlast
Whoogle
YaCy
SearX / SearxNG
Do not foolishly misunderstand who really controls the ‘highway of information’.
Facebook funded by CIA
The Role of In-Q-Tel and Military Intelligence in Facebook’s Development
Introduction
Facebook, a dominant social media platform, has long been speculated to have connections with military and intelligence organizations. This article explores the funding and influence of entities like In-Q-Tel, a venture capital firm linked to the CIA, and other military intelligence outfits in Facebook’s growth and its role as a tool for surveillance and information gathering.
In-Q-Tel’s Involvement
In-Q-Tel was founded in 1999 to bridge the gap between the CIA and technological advancements in the private sector. The firm has invested in various tech companies to bolster the intelligence community’s capabilities. Although there isn’t direct evidence of In-Q-Tel investing in Facebook, the interconnected nature of tech investments and the intelligence community raises questions.
Military Intelligence Connections
Military intelligence outfits have shown interest in social media platforms like Facebook for their potential in data gathering and surveillance. The vast amount of personal information shared on Facebook provides a rich resource for monitoring and intelligence purposes.
Facebook as a Surveillance Tool
Facebook’s extensive data collection capabilities make it an ideal tool for surveillance:
- User Data: Facebook collects data on user behavior, preferences, and connections.
- Facial Recognition: Advanced algorithms analyze photos to identify individuals.
- Location Tracking: Facebook’s location services track user movements.
Big Brother and Information Gathering
The term “Big Brother” from George Orwell’s 1984 is often used to describe the pervasive surveillance capabilities of modern technologies. Facebook’s data collection practices align with this concept, as they enable extensive monitoring of individuals’ activities and associations.
Conclusion
While direct evidence of In-Q-Tel’s funding in Facebook is scarce, the platform’s potential as a surveillance tool for intelligence agencies remains significant. Facebook’s data gathering and analytical capabilities provide powerful means for monitoring and information collection, aligning with the interests of military intelligence outfits and evoking concerns about privacy and Big Brother-like surveillance.
References
Note: For further reading, it is recommended to explore detailed reports and analyses from credible sources regarding the relationship between social media platforms and intelligence agencies.