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I recently switched to DDG and surprised to the search results. They are almost on par with Google. I see less ads and more needed information which is great. Bye bye Google search.
 
Found out who started and runs DDG. Not impressed.

May I ask why?

I posted this a couple weeks ago, but the founder Gabriel Weinberg owned a questionable site: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_Database

There's also a thread that's deep in the past regarding DDG getting caught using tracking cookies: https://archive.is/qntuk

There's another thread on Reddit that talks about DDG's partners and who they promote in last few years: https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/4vgqrn/duckduckgo_illusion_of_privacy/

Some of it is fun to read, others are possibly borderline conspiracy. I think it's cool that some businesses value privacy publicly, but I still think people should be cognizant that this is the internet. In the internet, trust is a relative thing.
 
I went to DDG when it first became an option in iOS. I quickly resorted to using the !g bang when searching that I don’t remember my last none !g search. It’s become 2nd nature to me. I even do it when on Google.co.uk
 
I switched from google aka data sucking scum.
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Apple didn't do anything in this case. Their MapKit framework has been available to anyone for years but no one has taken them up other offer AFAIK. DDG should be given the credit here for choosing a company that aligns with their privacy policies.

Now if Apple would just dump Google as default search and go with DDG, I would really be impressed because they would be leaving billions on the table and actually putting their customers before profits.
To be fair, Googles results can be better at times but I still agree.
 
Wow, after reading so many positive reviews about DDG I'm releasing the Google shackles and have just changed my default search engine and guess what it's not that shabby. I feel alive!
 
Apple didn't do anything in this case. Their MapKit framework has been available to anyone for years but no one has taken them up other offer AFAIK. DDG should be given the credit here for choosing a company that aligns with their privacy policies.

Now if Apple would just dump Google as default search and go with DDG, I would really be impressed because they would be leaving billions on the table and actually putting their customers before profits.

While I agree with you to some extent, most people who cares about privacy enough to care about the search engine probably already knows about ddg, not to mention the fact that ddg is still worse than google on finding the most relevant results, especially outside the US.
 
DuckDuckGo, while not perfect, is the only search engine I’ve been using for the last 2 years. Their privacy policy isn’t perfect but it’s a hell of a lot better than many others.
whats wrong with their privacy policy
 
Part of me wonders if Apple is supporting DuckDuckGo to serve as leverage against Google so they can negotiate for higher rates next year.
 
This gives more credence to what I think Apple is doing with the current administration and why Cook has been meeting with POTUS often.

Google is in big, BIG trouble...

Coming soon, enjoy the show!
 
It’s very rare I use anything but DDG these days. Even got my family to switch which was a feat in itself. This news is very good news.
 
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While I applaud the move, the implementation is not very user friendly.

Generic queries like "pizza" triggers the map sidebar, but more specific queries like "target store" and "burger king" do not. Interestingly enough, making the query plural, like "target stores" or "burger kings" would trigger the map sidebar.
 
While I agree with you to some extent, most people who cares about privacy enough to care about the search engine probably already knows about ddg, not to mention the fact that ddg is still worse than google on finding the most relevant results, especially outside the US.
But these little things add up. I've known about DDG for years but never made a switch over to them on my iPhone. After the news yesterday, I decided to give them a try and so far so good. That wouldn't have happened for me without this news and I suspect many others too. If more partnerships like this were formed, I think we would see most users shift from vague privacy concerns to more proactive stances.
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I switched from google aka data sucking scum.
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To be fair, Googles results can be better at times but I still agree.
Google results should be better considering all of the data they store and use just like Assistant should be better than Siri too. But security and privacy aren't zero sum games. People can choose to live with a little more or less convenience based on their needs or fears or just when a product or service is 'good enough' for them.
 
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I don't like this... "Privacy" means 'just that'

Why do you need to aggregate with a privacy company you have no control of ? Apple was doing fine by itself and that's how it should stay, if privacy is important.

By the way DDG aggregates with Bing, as well. That's doesn't make me any safer. Weather its direct or indirect, i'm not part of it.
 
I think that unregulated internet is what have brought us to this point as humanity. Privacy is one thing and should be preserved and imposed on google and political correctness is another thing, also good and should be encouraged and promoted.
Unregulated tech is how everything grew and how it's a hugely valuable sector. Telephones have been regulated forever and are still so bad that VoIP is replacing them.

If you don't want to use Google, just don't. It's a good thing we have choices. Almost everyone uses it and doesn't care.
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Now if Apple would just dump Google as default search and go with DDG, I would really be impressed because they would be leaving billions on the table and actually putting their customers before profits.
It would be impressive, but most would consider it a downgrade. The search results are bad.
 
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Unregulated tech is how everything grew and how it's a hugely valuable sector. Telephones have been regulated forever and are still so bad that VoIP is replacing them.

If you don't want to use Google, just don't. It's a good thing we have choices. Almost everyone uses it and doesn't care.
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It would be impressive, but most would consider it a downgrade. The search results are bad.
I think "bad" is a misrepresentation. "Good enough" is probably more accurate and like Maps and Siri, that is good enough for most.
 
I think "bad" is a misrepresentation. "Good enough" is probably more accurate and like Maps and Siri, that is good enough for most.
Idk, bad enough that I stopped using it when I tried it. Either way it's worse, for no tangible benefit. If they changed it to DuckDuckGo, most people would just think "wtf" and probably want to change it back. I appreciate that they develop DuckDuckGo, but there's no reason to shove it onto everyone.
 
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Now if Apple would just dump Google as default search and go with DDG, I would really be impressed because they would be leaving billions on the table and actually putting their customers before profits.

I am satisfied with the current arrangement - where Apple still gets Google’s money, and users get the choice of which search engine they prefer.

There’s some sweet irony in that.
 
I am satisfied with the current arrangement - where Apple still gets Google’s money, and users get the choice of which search engine they prefer.

There’s some sweet irony in that.
As Apple continues to position themselves away from data hungry companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook, they will eventually be called upon to not accept money for less private services even if those services deliver superior user experiences.
 
As Apple continues to position themselves away from data hungry companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook, they will eventually be called upon to not accept money for less private services even if those services deliver superior user experiences.

Which would be a straw man argument. Apple taking money from google in no way contradicts its stance on privacy, because it isn’t out to excise companies like google or Facebook from its platform. Rather, the intent is for these companies to treat their users’ data and privacy with respect.

One way to give that respect is to ask customers if they want to share their data and then keep asking them over and over again, to borrow Steve Jobs' view on privacy and data collection.

That’s why Apple provides users the option of choosing service providers based on data collection and privacy protocols. For example, iPhone users are able to make DuckDuckGo their default search option on iOS devices.

If anything, Apple’s recent partnership with DuckDuckGo will simply strengthen the leverage Apple has at the bargaining table, when it comes to negotiating how much google has to pay to keep search as default. I estimate google may have to pay even more than what they are forking out now.
 
Which would be a straw man argument. Apple taking money from google in no way contradicts its stance on privacy, because it isn’t out to excise companies like google or Facebook from its platform. Rather, the intent is for these companies to treat their users’ data and privacy with respect.

One way to give that respect is to ask customers if they want to share their data and then keep asking them over and over again, to borrow Steve Jobs' view on privacy and data collection.

That’s why Apple provides users the option of choosing service providers based on data collection and privacy protocols. For example, iPhone users are able to make DuckDuckGo their default search option on iOS devices.

If anything, Apple’s recent partnership with DuckDuckGo will simply strengthen the leverage Apple has at the bargaining table, when it comes to negotiating how much google has to pay to keep search as default. I estimate google may have to pay even more than what they are forking out now.

Apple could easily build a proxy search server just like DDG and search Google/Bing/etc for you

There is nothing of value about DDG without their anonymized 3rd party search engines
 
Apple could easily build a proxy search server just like DDG and search Google/Bing/etc for you

There is nothing of value about DDG without their anonymized 3rd party search engines

There likely isn’t any need, nor any strategic reason to. Apple is probably happy to just let the various search engines fight it out, and reap the benefits.
 
There likely isn’t any need, nor any strategic reason to. Apple is probably happy to just let the various search engines fight it out, and reap the benefits.

Reap what benefits? DDG on its own isn't a formidable search engine compared to the rest of the playing field.

If Apple built their own proxy, they can gather more data points about their users in the way they want. 1st party user data is very important to future innovations. I'm not sure why you would even try to make a case that 3rd party data is more important than 1st party.
 
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