Goodbye, Google Search. Hello, Bing.

hybernia

Strict, Moderate and Off Filter controls in searches seem to have been removed by Google UK without warning.

Google refuses to explain in simple step-by-step language how an individual can regain control of his or her own searches on his or her own computer in his or her own home.

It is much more interested in making users of its $billions-earning search engine open Google accounts, or have existing account holders sign in, before searching for anything online so as to have them all corralled in its Orwellian world of tracking and monitoring and behavioural analysing.

I'm not sure how things work in Internet Explorer because hubby and I don't use it, but in Firefox there's a little downward pointing arrow in the top righthand search box. It used to be next to the Google icon on our home computer, because Google was our default search engine but is now next to Microsoft's Bing icon, because we've just consigned Google search to the trash.

Bing allows users to control their own computers, control their own searches, and control their own lives. Hopefully, it'll stay like that.

Number29

I've just checked Google UK now and I still have the SafeSearch filter options. I'm not sure why these would be missing for you.

closed

do you think that other search engines don't collect any user data?

you can't escape google, your post has been indexed, your web visits will be tracked - that's the price you pay for using a free service.

http://www.google.co.uk/preferences - ccleaner will be wiping your cookies.

Ximian

Alternative private search engines:

Ixquick: https://www.ixquick.com/

Duck Duck Go: https://duckduckgo.com/

Start Page: https://startpage.com/

Private Lee: https://privatelee.com/

S0litaire

Oh and here's Googles own help page on "Safe Search" Settings : https://support.google.com/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en-GB&answer=510

AlecEiffel

Every large search provider keeps some form of record on your browsing. Google is just the biggest so gets the sometimes misguided and misinformed bad press. Best thing is to either not use Google search whilst logged into a Google account, that way they don't save your history in your account, or if you are logged in go to the dashboard and turn off web history which deletes any history and stops collection. Bing is very good but they will log searches as will your ISP.

23n1th

I haven't directly used google in I've a year now or Yahoo or bing. Duckduckgo and startpage (run by ixquick) are all you need. No data kept and private