Best Alternatives to Google Search Engine

If you have been reading about Google's privacy policy, then you know at least a bit about all the ways your private information is being sold and used. There is a growing movement of people unwilling to continue having their personal information compiled and sold for profit.

Big data grows more and more concerning. Everyone who has ever used the internet has some type of profile compiled of their personal information and browsing habits. We are still learning all the ways that information is used.

If you are one of those people, then you are seeking alternatives to the giant search engines. Private search engines have been around for some time. They have been quietly improving their capabilities and slowly drawing those with concerns about the use and safety of their personal information.

If you are seeking to join the Google exodus, the following are some suggestions for new engines to look into:

1. DuckDuckGo This search engine has a simple privacy policy that you do not need a lawyer to understand. They do not save any user information, ever. They also have the capability of providing the same volume and quality of results as the larger search engines. DuckDuckGo is highly customizable. This gives you the freedom to create the web surfing experience that suits your needs best.

2. Qwanthttps://www.qwant.com/ offers a great alternative to those who like the Google experience without the privacy concerns. Qwant does not use cookies or any other tracers.

3. HotBot Offers a simple way to increase the safety of your internet experience. The safe search setting allows you to choose off, moderate or strict straight from the home page. This gives the user control of the safety of sites displayed in one easy setting. HotBot offers limited customization options.

4. Hot.com A search engine designed to exclusively search the more suggestive side of the internet. https://hot.com has a transparent privacy policy that lets you control how much personal information you are willing to share.

5. Search Encrypt Uses local encryption to make sure that your searches, and history, remain private. A unique feature to search encrypt is that your search terms expire, so your search remains private even when others use your computer. searchencrypt.com also has an updated map search feature using Open Street Maps because they do not collect or store data from users.

The few cons to using private search engines include somewhat less advanced results on some searches and your searches are not saved. The only disadvantage of not having saved searches is a few extra keystrokes to get the information you need. For most consumers, this is a small price to pay for privacy and security.

When measured against the advantages of unbiased search results, privacy and avoiding targeted ads, private search engines win. Most people use the larger search engines from habit, not because of any clear advantage.