Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Google is most known for its search engine, even though today it has a variety of other successful projects. Millions of people around the world are using the Google search engine on a daily basis and, in all likelihood, you are one of them. Even though the searching capabilities of Google are highly efficient, not every user is happy about using it. The lack of privacy is a major reason for the concerns of many Internet users when it comes to Google. Is keeping your privacy online is also crucial for you? Then check which search engine is better for you.
The pros and cons of using Google
Google learnt how to monetise the data quite early which allowed the company to build a large business of using the data generated by the Internet users. It is constantly recording all your activity while searching for information with its engine as well as during the usage of its other services. Furthermore, it is even linking all of this information with your google account.
Some people might find such a behaviour of the search engine rather disturbing, especially, if these Internet users want to use the engine for searching for some sensitive information. All the data generated by you while using the Google services is used for personalising the advertisements which become more targeted. Actually, these highly personalised advertisements are one of the major sources of income of Google.
Of course, many people can find this feature of Google rather annoying. For someone it can be even a reason for stopping using Google at all. Yet, this way of handling your data also allows Google to personalise the search results as well which can appear as an advantage of this search engine since it might help you to find the necessary information more easily and faster. You can also find the information for which you have already searched without spending any extra time on the task since Google will remember it for you.
The pros and cons of DDG
First of all, even though DDG is becoming more and more popular today with 79,000 searches made daily in 2010 raising up to 79,000 million daily searches made only during the November of 2020, you might still not be aware of this search engine.
DDG stands for DuckDuckGo and this is a search engine based on a totally different approach while compared to Google. In point of fact, its founder, Gabriel Weinberg, aimed to create a search engine which will offer its users the maximum possible privacy.
In order to achieve this goal, Weinberg resigned from recording any data generated by the users of its search engine, although this would be a highly profitable decision. Not only does the DuckDuckGo search engine do not record any data generated by your activity while working with this search engine, but it is also doesn’t record this information for you. Thus, you won’t be able to come across any personalised search results while looking for some information with DDG.
For some people it is a great advantage of the DuckDuckGo search engine, especially for those who is already tired by the curiosity of the modern services aiming to keep a track of all possible information created by their users. Many people feel themselves safer while using a search engine protecting their privacy.
Of course, some Internet users might be not used for such depersonalised Internet tools and may find it easier to use a search engine which is actually recording the data these users are generating. For them, DuckDuckGo can turn out to be not efficient.
In which way is DuckDuckGo generating its profit?
If you have become somewhat interested in giving DuckDuckGo a try, you might be wondering how this service is earning money if it is not using your information for personalising your advertisements. Actually, even though there is no ad personalisation from the side of DuckDuckGo, the company still has various opportunities for getting profit.
For the first time, the company was running due to the cash injection of the company’s founder himself. This sufficient amount of money was received after selling his previous start-up.
The next large amount of money invested in DuckDuckGo was the funds offered by the Union Square Ventures venture capital firm. This happened in 2011 and the initial funding was equal to around 3 million dollars. So far, this external fundraising has helped to generate 13 million dollars.
Still, this is not a source of income of the company. DuckDuckGo is also using its search engine for advertising, however, it is doing it in the way, totally reverse to the Google practice.
DuckDuckGo is not basing the advertisements on targeted data on purpose, keeping the privacy of its users. Exclusively the keywords used in the searched phrases are taken into consideration for displaying the advertisements to you. This advertising is supported by Yahoo.
Even though DuckDuckGo will provide you with non-personalised advertisements, it will offer you an opportunity to turn all of them at all. Google doesn’t provide its users with such an opportunity.