DuckDuckGo announces Internet Search Modifications to search engine results

DuckDuckGo announces Internet Search Modifications to their search engine results

If down-ranking sites is the new direction the company is leaning toward, what other sites will they down-rank going forward? One reason I switched from Google to DuckDuckGo was the promise for privacy and unbiased search results.

For those concerned about privacy, down-ranking (censorship) and filtered search results, this move is not the way to go and I expect many DuckDuckGo users to switch to another search engine.

https://search.brave.com/  <- does its own indexing, 100% independent, does not collect user
https://www.qwant.com/ <- uses Bing
https://www.startpage.com/ <- uses Google
https://swisscows.com/ <- uses Bing
https://www.onesearch.com/ <- uses Bing
https://www.dogpile.com/ <- metasearch uses multiple search engine indexes (Google, Yahoo!, Ask, Yandex, Bing, MSN)
https://www.webcrawler.com/ <- metasearch uses multiple search engine indexes (Google, Yahoo!, Bing, Ask)

https://yandex.com/ <- uses its own indexing with two crawlers
https://gibiru.com/ <- no information about the sources of their index
https://www.google.com/ <- uses artificial intelligence-powered search result customization, biased algorithms, manipulates search results, collects user data
 
Brave Search is more private and offers better protection so I made the switch to both browser and search engine. Brave does its own indexing, is 100% independent, does not collect user data, does not track search queries, allows anonymous searching and provides more protection.

• About Brave <- scroll down and read the Online privacy by default: Brave vs. other browsers.
• Brave Features
• Search without a trace

Brave Search search engine review

Brave Search’s privacy features:
• 100% anonymous search
• Private browser integration for desktop and mobile
• Transparency regarding how search results are ranked
• Independent search index

Brave automatically blocks cookie consent notices, cross-site trackers, scripts and provides fingerprinting protection as well as vertical tabs.

The Brave App is a private web browser which includes Adblock enabled by default as explained here.

In comparison, Google uses artificial intelligence-powered search result customization, biased algorithms, manipulates (changes) search results, interferes with search algorithms and collects user data.

• Measuring the "Filter Bubble": How Google is influencing what you click
• Does Google Manipulate Your Search Results?
• How Google Interferes With Its Search Algorithms and Changes Your Results
• Google reportedly manipulates search results to hide controversial subjects and favor big business
• Google Manipulates Search Results, Former Engineer Confirms

Google, International and Global Corporations want to control what information people can read, see and hear.

If DuckDuckGo is going to follow a similar policy, then it's time to leave.
 
This topic is intended to solicit user suggestions and experiences with alternative search engines like those I noted above.
 
Please do not turn this topic into a political debate about what constitutes misinformation. There are other forums for such discourse.

much obliged for this thread, specifically for sharing such info, quietman

I also use duckduckgo (among other search engines,) which is not too relevant, but I am both not surprised and slightly disappointed that the company would decide to do this

if you would be so kind as to pardon me and my twaddle, the famous "we will do this for you" adage is continually, not always, demonstrated to serve as far from what it is as claimed to serve

the question of how such a determination would be formed is paramount as there are too many examples of such similar circumstances that consist of not forming with objective reasoning, but rather with arbitrariness that is inaccurately passed off and falsely misrepresented as "objective reasoning"

"just let us do the thinking for you. you have nothing to fear. we'll determine it..." the mindlessness and manipulation of such actions...

Thank you for this Russ.

Probably for much the same reason as you, I've made some conscience efforts to avoid the Alphabet organization and pay more attention to my privacy. Now, DuckDuckGo's advertising budget seems to have been significantly increased - at least in my region. In the words of the late Mark Fell, "follow the money".

I suppose I'll start with the dogpile engine...

Can any search results be truly "unfiltered". All search engines have to have some sort of algorithm to rank results.

Yes but transparency regarding how the search results are ranked makes a difference for me in deciding what to use. 

Swiss cows search...Swisscows the alternative, data secure search engine.

Qwant search... Qwant - The search engine that respects your privacy

Swisscows is a family safe search.

Qwant search results have text ads which are easily blocked using CSS or an adblocker; search is based on an enhanced Bing results. I use Qwant instead of using Bing.

Edited by 0lds0d, 11 March 2022 - 09:45 AM.

I have added those two to the list in the first post.

I really hope DDG back paddles this decision.

Because I really love their Bang searches.

From what I have been reading, the CEO is not backing down on the new direction they have taken. Looks like I will be staying with Brave.

Since Brave is new to me, I did some research and found this interesting article...Brave vs. DuckDuckGo.

From what I have been reading, the CEO is not backing down on the new direction they have taken. Looks like I will be staying with Brave.

 

Since Brave is new to me, I did some research and found this interesting article...Brave vs. DuckDuckGo.

I wonder what this means for the future for DDG?

I'm wondering if they were asked by their search providers to do this?

Last I remember that Bing was there main search provider. So who knows maybe Microsoft pressured them into this?

The list on the first page has been updated and includes info on what search engine indexes each one is reported to use.

Hello All:
 
Depending on your intolerance to reCAPTCHA encounters, the metasearch engine Dogpile will likely challenge your arrival if your system's browsers happen to be tunneling through a VPN connection.

Still, Dogpile appears to be as rapid as other search engines I've used so I am still likely to keep it as my default search engine.

Thank you again, @quietman7

Some updates....
Brave Search removes last remnant of Bing from search results page, achieving 100% independence
Brave Search Is Now 100% Independent, With An API Coming Soon
Brave Releases its Search API