Search upgrades: This trick works in Google or your favorite search engine. Use an asterisk (*) to fill in for a word you don’t know, like “Midnight * to Georgia.” If there’s a word you want to keep out of your search, put a minus sign (-) in front of it. “Kim tech tips -Kardashian” means you won’t see the other Kim K. in your results.
Google alternatives that don’t sell all your data
Google is one of the best examples of “If it’s free, you’re the product.” And its employees, business decisions, stock price, biases and preferences have a big impact on what its “products” (Smile! That’s you and me!) see when we use Google Search.
When I look at Google’s ad-choked search results, antitrust woes and stalker-like approach to tracking us, I can’t really trust the results I get are fair, balanced or even just thorough. Add in search bias on political topics and large brands getting all the shine in the search algorithm, and we’ve got a problem.
I hear from a reader, viewer or listener just about every day who’s looking for ways not to use Google Search.
Google isn’t the only search game in town
Dennis in Reno, Nevada, sent me a note the other day, asking if Google had purchased the search engine DuckDuckGo. Nope, they haven’t. That’s fake news spreading online.
He also asked me for “the best product to avoid Google tracking and search manipulation (i.e., logarithm).” It’s algorithm, friend. I don’t want you to embarrass yourself in polite tech circles. The “best” product really depends on what you like. I’ve got options for ya. But first …
Follow the money
Wondering how Google’s competitors make money if they’re not shilling your info to anyone with a buck to spend? Most alternative search engines make money in three ways:
- They show ads based on your search keyword, not your browsing habits or behavior.
- They get an extra sliver of the action when you click an ad and make a purchase.
- They sell premium subscriptions for ad-free searches and their other products.
Try a privacy-first search engine
You won’t see AI tools like ChatGPT in this list since I’m sticking with traditional search engines. There are endless options, but here’s a good place to start:
- DuckDuckGo: Its entire gimmick is its lack of user tracking, as well as a company policy of no targeted ads or relevant results based on your search history. I don’t use DuckDuckGo, though; I seem to get better search results from the next option.
- StartPage: The Netherlands-based company calls itself “the world’s most private search engine.” StartPage pays Google for the use of its search algorithm but strips out the tracking and advertising that comes with it. As a result, you get a Google-like experience, along with the promise your data will never be stored, tracked or sold.
- Ecosia: It’s a traditional search engine, ads and all, but its profits go to planting trees worldwide — over 217 million to date and counting. Ecosia doesn’t sell your data, and its searches are encrypted. They collect “a small amount of data” by default; you can opt out.
- Dogpile: Google, Yahoo, Bing and all the rest have their own ways of sorting through search results. Dogpile combs through them all to help you find what you’re looking for.
Do you make these common spelling mistakes?
When I think “embarrassing searches,” they’re not … those kinds. They’re the ones where I’m trying to figure out how to spell a word I definitely should know how to spell. I’m not alone. We all use search engines as a dictionary these days.
💀 Google Search is dead: OpenAI added a search function to ChatGPT for up-to-the-minute news, weather, sports scores — you name it — without ads or scrolling. It’s live now for ChatGPT Plus and Team subscribers; free access will come within the next few months. I predicted Google’s demise two years ago, and people laughed at me.
How online searches are evolving in today's digital landscape
I can’t imagine we’ll stop saying “Google it” when referring to finding info online any time soon — but, in reality, the way people search the web is changing. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT are part of it, but don’t discount how many use social media to find information.
Search engine comparison: Google vs. Startpage vs. DuckDuckGo vs. Bing
Spiders, also known as web crawlers, search the internet to find results that match your query. If you’ve ever researched the same topic on different search engines, you’ll notice the results can be drastically different.
Scam alert! 5 most dangerous software program names to Google
Search engines can be portals for scammers to slip malware into your devices. Some searches are more dangerous than others. Cybercriminals use popular software searches as avenues to infect your devices.
To be clear, these apps and services aren’t dangerous, but searching for them is. That’s because scammers often impersonate them. Cybercriminals love to leech off the credibility of well-regarded companies, so if you type one of these terms into Google Search, you might find scams at the top of your search results.
Bad news if you use DuckDuckGo - It's not quite as private as we thought
There are plenty of browsers and search engines out there that aren’t from Google. Tap or click here for our search engine comparison. Most people know that browsers and search engines can track your online activity.
John Oliver busts data brokers, spurs Congress to action
Data brokers know if you have cancer, diabetes or a baby on the way. You might think that’s illegal under HIPAA — but as John Oliver revealed in his show “Last Week Tonight,” many data brokers reveal highly sensitive medical information. To urge Congress to limit data collection, he essentially blackmailed lawmakers with private data he legally obtained.
How to remove everything you've found about yourself on Google
If you look yourself up on Google, you might encounter something you don’t want the public to see. Maybe it’s something you posted to social media years ago or records about some trouble you got into when you were younger. You might also run into data like your home address and phone number — things you don’t want strangers to know.
Simple ways to stop advertisers from following you online
We all know that prickling feeling when we see an ad online or on our phone for something we just talked about with a friend.
Big Tech companies say they’re not listening to us and feeding ads for things they hear. I say you can never be too safe. Tap or click for a simple trick to block the microphone on your computer or phone.
What's on the Dark Web? These are the top 5 sites in 2021
When most of us think of the Dark Web, our mind goes straight to the worst-case scenarios. We think of assassins, poison, illegal drugs and creepy red room videos. But these hidden corners of the internet aren’t all darkness and depravity.
Surprise! Why you shouldn't trust Google for health advice
The pandemic has caused people to be more concerned about their health, and that’s a good thing. A steady diet and exercise will help most people keep healthy, but others may need a little more.
We know the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, and it’s more important than ever they stay on top of their treatments. Prescription medication can be expensive, but there are some ways to save. Tap or click here to check out a site that can help you save up to 80% at the pharmacy.
Remove Google Search results you don’t want people to find
We all have things we’d prefer that strangers didn’t know. What happens when those private facts and photos end up online?
Keeping tabs on yourself through search engines is your first line of defense. If you know the right ways to search and what to look for, you can find sensitive personal info you would have never known was public. Here’s how to perform an exhaustive search.
Privacy tip: This search engine doesn't track you like Google
Can you name the most popular search engines off of the top of your head? You probably can — or at least the top one: Google.
Google may be a household name and the most-used search engine, but there have been some privacy issues related to it over the years. One of the main issues is that it tracks and retains some or all of your search history, even when you aren’t logged in. What you search for, the videos you watch, the images that you view, and the ads you purposely (or accidentally) click on are all retained by Google. Tap or click here to erase everything Google knows about you.
How many emails went out today? See real-time internet stats
Everybody knows the internet is big, but ask someone “how big?” and they’ll probably look confused.
The information superhighway we all know and love might actually be too big to truly comprehend — with more than four billion active users and more than one billion websites online today.
Popular browser rolls out new feature to protect your privacy
Browsing the web privately isn’t as easy as it used to be. In the past, it was possible to make due with a few software tools and by avoiding social media. But nowadays, your search engines build ad profiles about you. Meanwhile, social networks follow you around whether you’re a member or not.