Startpage by Ixquick, a provider of private internet search is set to launch ‘Startpage Australia’, a region-specific version of the Startpage.com search engine. The website is set to debut in June.
Designed to address the privacy needs of Australia’s people, Startpage Australia will supplement Startpage’s existing search results with data from local, Australia-specific websites and portals.
As a ‘meta-search engine’, Startpage allows users to anonymously search nine other search engines at once and receive the best results privately. Startpage does not record user IP addresses or use tracking cookies. In contrast, other major search engines such as Bing, Yahoo and Google record every search query made through their websites and link them to the user’s IP address, the company said.
In addition, Startpage will provide secure SSL encryption and offers a proxy service that allows users to anonymously visit the sites they find through the Startpage search engine.
Robert Beens, CEO of Ixquick, said: “The serious problems of Internet censorship and personal data collection in Australia are issues of worldwide concern. We are reaching out to help with the launch of Startpage AU. We want to extend a warm welcome to the people of Australia, and invite them to use the Startpage search engine as a tool to protect their privacy and anonymity.”
