Online search engines have a become an essential aspect of everyday life for all of us. All ages, nationalities and professions now possess a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips. However, while the Internet, and the search engines we use to navigate it, have become a universal right, they are beginning to encroach on another core value: our privacy.
[easy-tweet tweet=”Growth in the #privacy sector is outpacing the overall rate of growth in #search generally” user=”Oscobo”]
When we launched Oscobo last year we did so with the knowledge that a privacy-focused search engine could have universal appeal. Growth in the privacy sector is outpacing the overall rate of growth in search generally, indicating that there is a definite market for search engines that do not harvest your personal information. Below I’ve taken a look at two very different examples of user groups that may want to protect their online data.
Privacy at home
There are plenty of reasons why families all across the UK would want to safeguard their personal data from being harvested by search engines. Have you ever tried searching online for an offer on a family holiday? Well, your previous search data may count against you. The information that you’ve supplied to Google and similar platforms, will affect the price you are quoted. When online brands have information relating to your location and profession, it is easy to see how results become targeted at you, rather than tailored for you.
Another factor to consider is whether you have young children using the family computer. Do you really want every aspect of their lives being stored and eventually analysed so they can be bombarded with targeted advertising? Because we do not use cookies, look at your IP address or store any user data, we provide “pure” search results based entirely on the words you typed into your search request. Why should you have to share your age, sex, marital status and previous purchases every time you search online? At Oscobo we believe strongly that this no longer needs to be the case.
Privacy at work
We’ve also found that a number of businesses are keen to adopt a more privacy-focused approach to online searching. There are lots of examples of corporate data that you’d rather keep private and your search terms are likely to be included within this. However, when search engines store data on your search criteria in the cloud, it means that they could potentially become targeted by cyber attackers or local intelligence agencies. Because we don’t store any data on our users, you can be sure that there is no personal information that can be targeted. If there’s no data stored, there’s no data to be hacked.
[easy-tweet tweet=”When #search engines store your data in the #cloud, it may be open to #hacking” user=”Oscobo”]
Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent or a corporate high-flyer, there’s no reason for your personal information to be shared against your wishes. If you believe that online privacy should be for everyone, make sure you choose a search engine that delivers “pure” results without tracking its users.
Rob Perin, Co-founder, Oscobo
Rob is responsible for the commercial side of things at Oscobo. Prior to co-founding the company Rob was the senior commercial director at BlackBerry, responsible for 28 countries in Europe and more than €300 million in revenue. He was one of the first employees at BlackBerry in Europe in 2002, and was responsible for launching the company in Italy.
Rob has also held a number of senior business development roles both abroad and in the UK. This included a position at the start up Peoplelink, part of the internet incubator Idealab, which is where he first met Oscobo co-founder Fred Cornell.
He joined Oscobo as co-founder to pursue a more entrepreneurial career and has been responsible for developing Oscobo’s go to market strategy. When he isn’t following his passion to launch game-changing companies, Rob can be occasionally found driving sports cars through the hills of Umbria, where he once lived.