Google Search is dead to me, so I self-hosted my own private, ad-free, AI-free alternative instead. Here’s everything you need to know about SearXNG.

  • Arcden@lemmy.zip
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    3 days ago

    Just recently set up SearXNG for myself and I’m loving it as well. Although, do be aware, it sends your IP address and search query to google/bing/etc so I recommend setting it up to use a VPN or VPS to help mask your IP. In theory, google could build a profile on you based on that information alone.

    If you don’t want to self host it there are also public instances that you can join. However, you’re trusting your data to the server owners, whoever they are.

    • Séimhe (sé / é)@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      it sends your IP address and search query to google/bing/etc

      That does sound like an important thing to know when setting it up.

      • Arcden@lemmy.zip
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        3 days ago

        To be clear, that is a google requirement that SearXNG must follow for the service to work correctly.

    • artyom@piefed.social
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      3 days ago

      it sends your IP address and search query to google/bing/etc

      Seems like this completely negates the purpose…? There’s not really any way to have a strictly “private” search engine because you’d have to either run your own index, which is extremely resource-intensive and now you’re pinging every site on the web with your personal IP, or trust a third party to do it for you. The latter makes a lot more sense. Use Kagi, NeoSearch, DDG, Brave, etc.