Ixquick

Ixquick is a metasearch engine originally from the Netherlands, who voluntarily agrees not to collect or store personal data of users. Also available is a protected request via SSL connection. In addition, under the name StartPage another search engine will be offered, which relies exclusively on anonymous Google.

History

Ixquick was founded in 1998 by David Bodnick. The company is owned by Surfboard Holding BV, which has bought the engine in 2000. Ixquick has its headquarters in New York and the Netherlands. The business model is based on the sale of contextual advertising ( sponsor results ).

According to self-report any log files with user-related personal information is stored. Before log files were stored for 48 hours and should be prevented by reconstructing a possible overwriting of log files with new logs and will thus ensure that can not be closed to the user. The said temporary storage of the data took place for the purpose of analysis and the compilation of statistics; also should be traceable abuse. By his own account a portion of the Ixquick's servers is hosted in the United States and is subject to how all servers in the U.S., the PATRIOT Act and is committed to U.S. authorities, such as the FBI, the NSA or the CIA access without judicial to grant arrangement on your own server. According Ixquick searches from Europe but basically directed to European server, unless it comes in individual cases to technical problems.

As part of the event to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the country's data protection law Schleswig -Holstein, the first European Privacy Seal euro pinch has been earned by the search engine ixquick.com on 14 July 2008 by the European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx. January 28, 2009 Ixquick received the top rating of " excellent". By Search Engine Watch Ixquick was awarded in 2000, 2002 and 2004 as the best meta-search engine.

Functions

According to self-representation Ixquick is " the most powerful metasearch engine in the world". It is possible to use an extended syntax. The search form is available to the user in 18 languages ​​to choose from.

Ixquick combines multiple search engines, in order to obtain relevant results. The relevant results are marked with a star system. Each result is a star each allocated search engine that has rated the search result among the top ten results ( comparative analysis algorithm ). A labeled with five stars result means that five search engines, this result appears among their top ten rankings.

With Ixquick can not only search for web pages, but it is also a phone book and picture search possible. The Ixquick Toolbar offers the usual search features ability to search on an unstructured site for information to use a popup blocker, or it can be added to emails smileys. Personal settings can be adjusted and the language to be changed. Are in the default setting - currently inactive - Protection of minors filter switched on.

Make for more extensive searching and to personal settings requires JavaScript Ixquick. Access times as well as personal settings are stored in cookies. Alternatively, you can store the settings, can be generated by a URL.