Source: Startpage.com
The Washington Post and The Guardian have revealed a US government mass Internet surveillance program code-named “PRISM”. They report that the NSA and the FBI have been tapping directly into the servers of nine US service providers, including Facebook, Microsoft, Google, Apple, Yahoo, YouTube, AOL and Skype, and began this surveillance program at least seven years ago. (clarifying slides)
These revelations are shaking up an international debate.
StartPage has always been very outspoken when it comes to protecting people’s privacy and civil liberties. So it won’t surprise you that we are a strong opponent of overreaching, unaccountable spy programs like PRISM. In the past, even government surveillance programs that were begun with good intentions have become tools for abuse, for example tracking civil rights and anti-war protesters.
Programs like PRISM undermine our Privacy, disrupt faith in governments, and are a danger to the free Internet.
StartPage and its sister search engine Ixquick have in their 14-year history never provided a single byte of user data to the US government, or any other government or agency. Not under PRISM, nor under any other program in the US, nor under any program anywhere in the world. We are not like Yahoo, Facebook, Google, Apple, Skype, or the other US companies who got caught up in the web of PRISM surveillance.
Startpage Protects Your Privacy!
Startpage does NOT collect or share ANY personal information! Read more on Startpage’s privacy position or go directly to Startpage’s Privacy Policy.
Startpage offers you Web search results from Google – the world’s most popular search engine
When you search with Startpage the Web results are generated by Google. This offers you the search results and search features you may have grown accustomed to.
What is the difference between StartPage and Ixquick?
The difference between our two search engines is that StartPage returns Google results, while Ixquick returns results from other search engines, but not Google. Both are equally private.
A Unique Combination
On Startpage the privacy of Ixquick is combined with the Web search results from Google. The combination of these two features is what makes Startpage so special. You can continue using the Web results from the world’s most popular search engine but now under the privacy protection of Ixquick, the world’s most private search engine.
A Trusted Party
Startpage is brought to you by Ixquick, the world’s most private search engine. Ixquick has been third-party certified by EuroPriSe, a European Union privacy initiative. On July 14th, 2008 Ixquick was awarded the first European Privacy Seal. Ixquick is the first and only EU-approved search engine.
Offers Many More Privacy – Enhancing Search Features
A Proxy Service It allows users to surf the web with complete privacy. The proxy lets users browse websites safely and anonymously, without passing on any private, personally identifiable information to the websites they view. Learn more here.
The URL Generator To promote a cookie-free internet, Startpage has recently launched a URL generator which eradicates the need for setting a cookie. It remembers your settings in a privacy friendly manner. It can be found at the bottom of the SETTINGS page.
Startpage supports SSL (HTTPS) The servers have been configured to handle HTTP requests over secure and encrypted Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connections. SSL is an encryption protocol that is available in almost all browsers. It establishes a secure connection between your browser and Startpage’s servers. Startpage uses SSL to hide your search terms from anyone who might be monitoring traffic between your browser and Startpage’s servers. You can activate SSL by using/adding an “s” to “http” in Startpage’s address. (so: https://startpage.com)
Startpage is also working hard to offer you an encrypted email service later this year called StartMail. We have to stand up and protect our freedoms from increasing overreach from data gatherers. You’ve made the right choice by using StartPage.com.