When it comes to search engines, Google is probably the best known. Even though it has many uses and is now part of our daily lives, it is not without controversy.
Google has been accused of stealing user information to create targeted ads. The idea of the company monitoring your every move online didn’t sit well with many people, so they started looking for an alternative.
Along comes DucDuckGo, a search engine focused on user privacy. But how does it work and can it work as well as Google?
What is DuckDuckGo?
DuckDuckGo is a search engine that does not track its users. While Google collects and stores data and links it to your account to create a personalized search result, DuckDuckGo chooses not to personalize your search results and cleans your search history.
The search engine has grown steadily since its inception. It started with an average of 79,000 daily searches in 2010, and now it has around 79 million daily searches in 2020, according to Use.
Part of this growth is due to DuckDuckGo’s partnerships with browsers like Safari and Firefox. They have also partnered with Linux operating systems and have native apps for iOS and Android.
Also Read: Is DuckDuckGo Desktop Web Browser In The Works Privacy-Focused Alternative For Google Chrome?
In 2019, the search engine was added to Google Chrome’s list of default search engines.
For those who want to take their online anonymity a step further, TOR browser users receive DuckDuckGo search results by default.
The search engine focuses on the quality of search results rather than quantity, with results coming from over 400 sources.
If you still want alternative results, DuckDuckGo’s bangs feature lets you directly search third-party sites and even other search providers, according to LifeWife.
DuckDuckGo vs. Google
Besides search, Google operates some of the most widely used software on the web, including Docs, Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and more.
Google’s access to large amounts of your data means its results can be personalized and their search page brings them together in one place.
As for DuckDuckGo, it has no personal data to rely on, so it stands out in other ways. It’s one of the many ways this search engine protects your personal information online, according to Cable.
This privacy-focused environment is the exact opposite of Google’s focused environment. There are no personalized ads, no filter bubbles and no personal search results.
Depending on your perspective, this is one of the best or worst features of DuckDuckGo. For those who are privacy-conscious, the lack of tracking can seal the deal.
But DuckDuckGo has a fringe. Bangs allows you to search third-party sites directly from DuckDuckGo. So if you want to search for a certain website, bangs will let you type in! muo followed by the search term.
Additionally, searching for a site on DuckDuckGo with one of the thousands of available bongs takes you directly to the site, rather than the search engine results.
If you find that you are missing Google search results, you can add !g to your query so that you can see that specific page.
Related Article: DuckDuckGo Removes Pirate Websites From Search Results: No More YouTube-dl?
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Written by Sophie Webster
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