Announcing Startpage: A New Name for the World’s Most Private Search Engine

Ixquick launches new, easier-to-remember name for its website

”Start protecting your privacy. Start searching with Startpage.”

That’s the new slogan for Ixquick, the Web search engine that is internationally recognized for having the best privacy practices in the business. Today Ixquick launches Startpage.com to give its users a new easier-to-remember way to access its established search services.

”For years, privacy experts have praised Ixquick for our outstanding policies, but some people found our name hard to spell,” explains Ixquick CEO Robert Beens. ”With Startpage, people can get the same great features they know and love from Ixquick with a name that’s easier to use.”

The Ixquick.com website will remain online in addition to the new Startpage.com option. Both websites are powered by the same underlying search technology and are covered by the same certified privacy policies and practices.

”These two websites are almost identical and offer the same great search results. The only real difference is the name,” says Beens. ”Whether people prefer to go to Startpage.com or Ixquick.com, they can search with equal confidence, knowing that their privacy is protected.”

Ixquick has earned a passionate following of Internet users who are concerned about keeping their searches private. All other major search engines, including Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft, record every search query made through their websites and link them to the user’s IP address and cookies — a practice that has come under fire from both privacy and government groups recently.

Ixquick is the only major search engine that guarantees not to record IP addresses or record people’s searches. The company backs up that guarantee with third-party certification, and has been awarded the prestigious European Privacy Seal for adherence to exemplary privacy standards. In addition, Ixquick does not use so-called ”tracking cookies,” and it is the only major search engine supporting HTTPS, a security feature that prevents data from being eavesdropped upon as it moves across the Internet.

press-releases.techwhack.com...

This is the first time that I hear about this search engine. It seems to be a good idea.

Here is a link to the new search engine name, which is the same search engine as the old one but with a new name.

startpage.com...

I will start using this search engine more.

[edit on 11-8-2009 by ElectricUniverse]

Thanks ElectricUniverse: This looks like a useful tool to know about, I'd not heard of it before, (S&F) ...I'll give it a go.

I don't really have anything to hide from google etc amongst the subject matter of my web searches - but what p**ses me off is that actually, it's none of their nosey-business no matter what I do search...

This search engine will stop all that..!!

cheers big ears



[edit on 11/8/2009 by moobaawoof]

reply to post by ElectricUniverse


Thanks I'm using it right now. Does this mean People can't track your activities.

reply to post by Ownification


No, your activities can still be tracked, I just don't think that the company keeps track of what you search for. Google, Yahoo etc. keep logs of searches made on their engines from your IP address, I assume these people don't (haven't looked into it). But that doesn't mean that others aren't tracking you.


TA

Edit:

Startpage's position:

You have a right to privacy.

Your search data should never fall into the wrong hands.

The only real solution is quickly deleting your data or not storing them to begin with.

In June 2006 we started to delete our users' privacy data within 48 hrs.

As of January 2009 we do not even record our users' IP addresses at all anymore.

We are the first and only search engine to do so.

Our initiative is receiving an overwhelmingly positive response!

Startpage will wholeheartedly continue on its mission to offer you great search results in the best possible privacy!

Startpage/Ixquick Warranties:

European Privacy Seal
On July 14th 2008 Startpage/Ixquick received the first European Privacy Seal from European Data Protection Supervisor Mr. Peter Hustinx. The Seal officially confirms the privacy promises we make to our users. It makes Startpage/Ixquick the first and only EU-approved search engine. Both EU Commissioner Viviane Reding and Dr.Thilo Weichert, German Privacy Commissioner complemented Startpage/Ixquick on its privacy achievements.
You can find the press release here.
source

I'd like to do a little more investigation into this, but if their claims are true, I'm switching.

Thanks for this, ElectricUniverse, S&F.

[edit on 11-8-2009 by TheAssociate]

[edit on 11-8-2009 by TheAssociate]

Good idea.

There is another to try, I use this all the time and uses a Google search engine. Just another one trying to stay under the radar with.

hxxp://www.scroogle.org/ (change the x's)

Tru

NP, i saw this and thought to put it here in case other members wanted to use it.

Apparently firefox recommends this search engine.

Add-ons for Firefox
Startpage HTTPS Privacy Search Engine 20090713

Add Startpage - The World's Most Private Search Engine - to your search box. Startpage does not record your IP address. Search the Web in the best possible privacy!

addons.mozilla.org...

Wow thanks alot for posting this, I was totally oblivious that an engine like this existed.

RIP GOOGLE - 8/11/09 on King9072's computer. GG.

Thanks for those links.

Have just added it to my firefox and set it as default engine.

Bye bye google, it's been good while it lasted.