Startpage is a Dutch search engine founded in 2006, claiming to be the world's first private search engine. It delivers Google search results while stripping all identifying information from user queries, providing the quality of Google without the tracking. Headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, it operates under strict EU data protection laws.

Key Features

• Google-quality search results delivered without any user tracking
• No IP address logging since January 2009
• Anonymous View feature acts as a proxy to visit websites privately
• No search history collection or user profiling
• Only contextual ads based on search keywords, not personal data
• Available as browser extensions and mobile apps
• Image, video, and news search categories
• Night mode and customizable settings

Privacy and Security

Startpage does not record IP addresses, does not store search histories, and does not create user profiles. The service removes all tracking elements before forwarding search queries to Google. The Anonymous View feature allows users to visit any search result through Startpage's servers, so the destination website never sees the user directly. As a Dutch company, Startpage is fully compliant with the GDPR.

Data Concerns

• No personal data collection or storage
• No IP address logging
• European data storage and processing (Netherlands)
• Subject to EU privacy laws and GDPR
• Transparent privacy policy
• In 2019, Privacy One Group (owned by US advertising company System1) acquired a majority stake, raising some concerns in the privacy community
• Startpage maintains that co-founders retain control over privacy practices through legal agreements