author: programming

How to hide ip: Search Engine Startpage.com Offers Anonymous Web Browsing

Search Engine Startpage.com Offers Anonymous Web Browsing

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 04:00 AM PST

Startpage, the world's most private search engine, and its E.U. brand, Ixquick, announced yesterday the release of a proxy service that allows users to surf the web with complete privacy.

The proxy offers complete anonymity, since the user never makes direct contact with the third-party website. The user's IP address is invisible to the viewed website. In addition, the website cannot see or place cookies on the user's browser.

"People are more concerned about online data retention policies than ever before," said CEO Robert Beens. "We wanted to offer them a useful tool and this proxy is a logical extension of our services. A search engine is a starting point for people to visit other pages. Now our users can take the privacy they get with Startpage to the next step, and go privately to the sites they have found as well. This proxy completes the total search privacy picture."

The Startpage's US spokeswoman, privacy expert Dr. Katherine Albrecht, explains the new feature:

How Startpage Proxy Works

First you have to the Startpage home page and perform a search:

Then, on the results page you will be able to see for every result a Proxy link:

By clicking on the proxy list, the page will open via a proxy. So, the visited website will not see your IP address but the address of the Startpage proxy.