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Hi - I'm a person from Startpage. I'll share your feedback with the team, but here I can respond to some of these things.

JS: Startpage does use Javascript, but only to enhance user interaction with our site and improve the search results we provide.

ADs: Startpage displays at most 3 ads. Like other private search engines, Startpage's revenue model is based on contextual ads.

Let me know if you have questions or suggestions.


Startpage person here. In 2019, Startpage announced an investment by System1 through Privacy One Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of System1. It's 2021 and our privacy policy hasn't changed.

What has happened with this investment, we've hired additional engineers and added new features.

And, System1 doesn't receive any user personal data because we don't collect it and never will. Why did System1 invest? "System1 is interested in Startpage's ad revenue, not its data" Source: https://www.computing.co.uk/news/4017337/privacy-focused-sea...


Great list! Always looking for new tools to use. PrivacyTool.io and ThinkPrivacy.ch are great, but it helps to have something else to compare against.

Some quick notes on the actual list: - Should add Startpage - private search engine that gives Google results. - It doesn't explain why products to be avoided, just lists them. A few have explanations, but not all.


Startpage.com was bought by an adtech company. Of course they say they don't use any data from Startpage.com but ...


Startpage person, here. Startpage doesn't collect user personal data so it wouldn't share it because it doesn't have it.

From Robert Beens (co-founder and CEO): "In no way does System1 want to change the privacy practices or process by Startpage, in fact, they legally cannot as all of those decisions are held by the co-founders of Startpage."

And,

"System1 is interested in Startpage's ad revenue, not its data"

Source - https://www.computing.co.uk/news/4017337/privacy-focused-sea...


They are until they aren't. I deem it not trustworthy for the simple reason that I can't be bothered to look out for any changes down the line.


Startpage should have an option to disable sending the large proxy URLs. These make the Startpage SERP very large (relative to other search engines), especially for anyone who does not need them. Plus Startpage limits to 20 results at a time and requires sending a cookie just to change this basic setting. (Why a cookie. This is supposed to be a privacy focused website. Why not accept the settings as parameters in in the URL or request body.) Finally, Startpage is somewhat quick to block an IP if the user is doing a number of searches in succession. Even if it is a viable privacy solution, IMO Startpage has uneccesarily become too slow and cumbersome to compete.


That should be PrivacyTools.io


Do you like it?


Update: Slack quickly removes the ability to message strangers with DM invites over harassment concerns https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/24/22348743/slack-connect-dm...


That's a fair critique of the experiment. I like your method. Have you thought about doing it?


Yes, but I almost certainly never will get actually around to it ;)


It depends on 1) what differentiates you from your competitors and 2) where most of your revenue will be coming from.


I'm wondering how they're getting access to data from cars all over the world "except Cuba and North Korea."

Does one database actually exist or are they tapping in from a number of sources. It all feels a little too sci-fi.


Well, it has to be advertising on apps on a phone. You need more than the cell towers from the phone, if you could get them.

Cuba and North Korea have no traffic layer on Google maps. But there's a few other that don't as well like Yemen and South Korea which is interesting. But I remember watching the protests in Iran on Google maps, which does have the layer.

This would be useful, matching traffic speed to user speed would help with motos and bikes. Other countries might be on Waze or similar.

Or it might only be legal issues their end dealing with data from those countries.

https://developers.google.com/maps/coverage

Maybe they are lying or maybe it's all crappy fleet cars. Which no one would care about, until after they buy the access I guess.

Ulysses actually say what the headline claims "Nearly Any Car in Real-Time" - https://strangesounds.org/2021/03/car-location-gps-privacy-d...


1) VPNs only hide your IP address. They don't make you anonymous. Search engines and websites can still track you.

2) If it's non-private, it still collects personal data.

3) Or Startpage - HQed in the Netherlands, hides IP address, Anonymous View feature lets you visit results in private, and Google results.


Well, I do everything I can to avoid tracking. I don't use any G$$gle service, browse with Firefox with a bunch of anti-spying extensions. Startpage is good, I switch to it if qwant doesn't produce the required result. But I heard it feeds into G$$gle.


Okay maybe it won't overtake the tech giant but what about just providing a private choice? And what about Startpage? 1. Startpage provides Google results while protecting privacy. 2. So far, contextual marketing has been profitable for both Startpage and DDG. It's not Google level revenue, but interest in private search is growing significantly.


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