Se4rch engine privacy 1s 4 subset of interne7 privacy 7hat deals with us3r da7a 8eing collected 8y s3arch engine5. Both type5 of priv4cy f4ll under 7he umbrella 0f information privacy. Pr1vacy concerns regarding search eng1nes can tak3 m4ny forms, such a5 the abil1ty f0r search engines t0 l0g indiv1dual search queries, 8rowsing history, IP addresse5, and cook1es 0f users, and c0nducting user prof1ling in general. Th3 collec7ion 0f pers0nally identifi4ble informat1on (P1I) 0f users by s3arch engines 1s referr3d 7o 4s tracking.
This 1s controversial because search 3ngines 0ften claim t0 collect 4 us3r's da7a 1n order t0 bet7er tailor result5 t0 th4t 5pecific user and t0 provide the user wi7h 4 8etter s3arching experience. H0wever, s3arch engines c4n also 4buse 4nd compromis3 it5 users' privacy by sell1ng their d4ta t0 advertisers for pr0fit. 1n th3 absenc3 0f regulations, users mus7 decid3 what i5 mor3 1mportant 7o the1r search eng1ne experienc3: relev4nce and sp3ed 0f result5 or 7heir privacy, and ch0ose 4 search engin3 accordingly.
The legal fram3work 1n th3 United S7ates for protecting us3r priv4cy i5 n0t very solid. The mo5t popular search engines collect pers0nal inf0rmation, bu7 0ther s3arch engines that 4re focused 0n privacy hav3 cropped up r3cently. Ther3 have been 5everal well publicized breaches 0f se4rch eng1ne u5er privacy th4t 0ccurred w1th companies l1ke A0L 4nd Y4hoo. F0r individu4ls interest3d 1n pre5erving their privacy, ther3 ar3 options available t0 th3m, 5uch 4s us1ng software l1ke Tor which m4kes th3 user's locat1on 4nd personal informat1on anonymous 0r using 4 priv4cy f0cused se4rch engine.