Before you hit search again...

Table of Contents

1. Every Search Shapes Your Online Identity

2. Selling Your Data for Ads

3. Ethical Concerns

4. 🌟 Reader Spotlight

5. Final Thoughts

6. Links to related articles:

Every Search Shapes Your Online Identity

Think about the last thing you searched on Google. Maybe it was “best sushi near me” or questions you’d be too ashamed to ask in real life (we all got some).

Every minute, Google processes roughly 9.5 million searches. Behind each query lies a trail. Your location, your habits, even your interests are all recorded and stored in what becomes a digital portrait of you.

Selling Your Data for Ads

From the moment you press “search”, Google logs more than your query. It tracks your keywords, location, device, browsing history, Youtube activity, Gmail data, and Maps usage to build a rich user profile.

Once that profile is built, Google uses it in real-time ad auctions. Every time you visit a site or use an app with Google Ads, advertisers bid for the chance to show you an ad.

If you’ve searched for “running shoes,” brands like Nike, Adidas, or New Balance can target you within hours.

Planning a trip to Italy? Airlines, hotel chains like Marriott, and travel platforms like Expedia can push offers directly to your screen.

This process called programmatic advertising doesn’t require Google to hand over your name. Instead, advertisers pay for access to your interests, behaviors, and likelihood to buy, all without you ever explicitly opting in.

Read more about how Google collects your data here. 

Ethical Concerns

The ethical problem is simple: the product is free because you are the product.

This kind of pervasive tracking has real consequences:

• Loss of privacy — Even “anonymous” data can often be traced back to you.

• Manipulated information — Personalized results can shape what you see, reinforcing biases or hiding alternative viewpoints.

• Exploitation of vulnerabilities — Your searches about health, finances, or relationships can be used to target you when you’re most likely to act.

This is why finding a private alternative isn’t just a preference. It’s a necessity.

🌟 Reader Spotlight

Before we discuss a seach engine that won’t track you, let’s talk about this week’s subscriber suggestion!

ID Verifier – ID Verifier is a privacy-first, open-source library that saves developers months of work by handling the complex parts of Digital ID verification - instead of building from scratch, you just request what you need (like 'over 21' verification) and get verified data back.

ID Verifier is an open-source JavaScript library that makes it easy to verify mobile IDs without exposing more personal information than necessary.

Check it out here: universalverify.com

Github: https://github.com/universal-verify/id-verifier

Search Without Being Tracked

Here is a search engine that respect your privacy, doesn’t log your personal data, and lets you browse without being followed by advertisers.

DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo has built its reputation on a simple promise: it doesn’t track you. It doesn’t store your search history, log your IP address, or create a personal profile.

Instead, it serves the same search results to everyone, so your queries stay private no matter who you are. It also blocks third-party trackers on websites you visit and forces encrypted connections where possible, making it harder for advertisers or ISPs to follow your activity.

Check out DuckDuckGo here.

A brief history

Founded in 2008 by Gabriel Weinberg, DuckDuckGo started as a small privacy-focused search engine run from his basement in Pennsylvania.

Over the years, it’s grown into one of the most recognized names in private search, handling billions of queries annually while sticking to its original mission: “The search engine that doesn’t track you.”

Unlike Google, DuckDuckGo:

• Doesn’t store personal information

• Shows everyone the same search results

• Blocks trackers by default

• Pulls results from multiple sources

Final Thoughts

With Google, much of that data fuels an advertising machine you never signed up for. The good news? You have options that put privacy first. Switching to tools like DuckDuckGo is a small step that can make a big difference in how much of your life stays yours.

If you found this useful, share it with a friend who cares about their privacy. And if you have a project or website you’d like to see featured in Saturday Sites, just reply to this email and send it my way.

For more privacy tools, tips, and updates on future issues, follow me on X.

See you next Saturday 👋

Caleb

Links to related articles:

Google to Settle $5 Billion Incognito Mode Tracking Lawsuit
AP News reports that Google has agreed to settle a $5 billion lawsuit alleging it continued to track users in Chrome’s Incognito mode.

3 Teens Almost Got Away With Murder. Then Police Found Their Google Searches
Wired digs into a tragic arson case in Colorado where investigators used a reverse keyword warrant to track down suspects by searching Google users whose queries matched the house address. The case went all the way to the Colorado Supreme Court and highlighted the privacy risks of broad digital surveillance.

Privacy Concerns with Google Search
Wikipedia provides a thorough overview of the privacy issues surrounding Google Search. Including how queries, IP addresses, and browsing data are logged and potentially shared with advertisers and law enforcement.

The Filter Bubble: How Search Engines Personalize Results
A Guardian feature discussing the concept of the “filter bubble” and how Google’s personalized results can shape the information you see, potentially limiting your exposure to diverse perspectives and reinforcing biases.