How Does Your Internet Searches Reveal Your Privacy？

We do searches on the Internet every day to find the answers to some questions and the solutions to the problems that we have in work or study. Various search engines can be used to do these searches. And Google Search is the most used search engine in the world.

Generally speaking, the search engine that you use will collect and store your searches and even browsing history by using tracking technology. Then, it will gradually form a user image that contains your personal information, including interests, health status and even family members.

Why does a search engine collect user data?

Usually, the company that operates a search engine makes money from advertisements. It sends customized ads to users so that they are more likely to click on these ads. Thus, it is extremely essential for search engine companies like Google to figure out a user’s interest based on what the user has searched before. To judge each user’s interest, they will secretly record each query and analyze the records. Then, targeted ads will be sent out to increase the click-through rate of the ads, thereby bringing substantial revenue search engine companies.

In addition, various websites and services are increasingly collecting user data to earn money. The user’s private information can easily be gathered while surfing on the Internet. Various websites even share user data that they collect with other websites or sell them to third-party companies. For example, you search for “summer dresses” and then receive relevant ads on each website you visit. It bothers that what you do online is totally visible to others and they can trace back to you.

How does your search engine expose your privacy?

Search engines usually collect and record all kinds of information about you, including but not limited to your IP address, geographic location, search history, and so on. The purpose of this is to form an image of you. If a search engine has a good command of your personal information, such as your home address, name, and interests, it can send more customized promotions to you to raise the click-through rate. In this way, it can get more revenue from advertising. What’s worse, your private data can be sold to or stolen by others.

Using a search engine will also disclose your search terms and your identity to third-party websites. Generally, when you use a search engine to do a search and click on the link of the website you want to visit, this website can get your search term from your search page which can be known from the HTTP referrer header. Besides, since your search engine knows who you are, chances are good that it discloses your identity to the third-party website for promotions. Then, you are more likely to fall a victim to cyber attacks.

How to prevent search engines from disclosing your privacy?

Undoubtedly, the simplest and fastest way is not to use search engines. But the truth is that without a search engine it’ll be hard for you to find answers to various questions.

Another way is to use a search engine that protects your privacy. On the one hand, these search engines can help you freely surf the Internet, and on the other hand, they can shield your privacy. DuckDuckGo is a good example.

DuckDuckGo

It does not collect user information to provide precision marketing for advertisers. Instead, it joins Microsoft / Bing / Yahoo’s advertising network and pushes untargeted ads based on some more general facts. For example, you will receive English ads because you do searches in English. While some other popular search engines keep s record of your queries and send targeted ads to you.

Brief introduction of DuckDuckGo:

DuckDuckGo was founded in 2008 by Gabriel Weinberg, a graduate of MIT. Speaking of this strange website name, Weinberg said that it is inspired by the chase game “duck, duck, goose” played by children. It has no other meaning or metaphor.

DuckDuckGo provides multi-language support. Safari and Firefox enable users to directly set DuckDuckGo as the default search engine. DuckDuckGo offers extensions for browsers like Firefox and mobile apps.

How does DuckDuckGo protect user privacy?

It does not record information such as your user agent (user identifier, used to identify the browser you use), IP address, search terms, etc.. By default, it won’t identify you through cookies and other mechanisms.

When it forwards your request, it will process the request so that the third party website cannot know that you are jumping from its search results page. So, the third-party website will see that you pay a visit by entering its URL in the address bar. To further increase your security online, DuckDuckGo also automatically modifies the URLs of some major site indexes to direct you to their HTTPS addresses when you click on their websites. 

In addition, for those who seek the ultimate privacy protection, DuckDuckGo also offers a Tor exit enclave. Its end-to-end encryption will keep you anonymous on the Internet.

Bottom line

To prevent your Internet searches from revealing your privacy, RitaVPN kindly recommends you use one of the best search engines for privacy. Besides, you should use the best VPN for privacy to safeguard you online. RitaVPN provides you with high-quality VPN services that will never let you down. Try it now!!!