Orwell's 1984 is here....
No, Google is NOT your friend. Startpage is in the Netherlands and is more likely to protect your privacy. However, it is not as good as Google. I like using Google's "boolean" search function. It can find some really amazingly hard to find stuff. Startpage doesn't have a "boolean" search. Ugh....
Duck duck go is ok. I have nothing against them, but they are based in the USA so they might be enrolled in PRISM now. I don't know. Snowden's leak is several years old so even though duck duck go wasn't part of PRISM, they might be now, but startpage is less likely to be part of prism because they're not in the usa but in the netherlands.
Use protonmail for swiss encrypted emails (free). I have nobody to use it with.
Use signal app for encrypted texts and phone calls. I don't use it though, because I have nobody to use it with because my family and friends don't care about privacy.
Use Tor to protect your online privacy. I don't use it, though, because it is too s-l-o-w. It slows internet use down to dialup speeds.
Your biggest hurdle with privacy will be your own friends and family because 98% of people are sheeple and the sheeple doesn't care about constitutional rights like privacy, right to bear arms, etc. As long as the sheeple can eat food, drive a fancy car, and watch TV, they're good. Ugh.
OldCurlyWolf wrote:
Google is most definitely NOT your friend.
They take EVERYTHING they learn about you and sell it.
I use Duck, Duck Go for my search engine.
Check it out.