this post was submitted on 29 Dec 2025
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Privacy

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edit: I changed my location and that seems to have worked for now. still a strange thing that it was localhost and not "site blocked" or something if my location was the issue. my VPN (ExpressVPN) was set to NJ. I switched to Toronto. ___ 🀷

hi all!!

has anyone else had this issue and been able to fix it? it happens on any browser (vivaldi, brave, lightning, vivandium...), phone or desktop, if I'm connected to my VPN.

I'm using startpage specifically because it's supposed to be privacy-focused... I don't want to keep disconnecting my VPN every time I have to make a search.

(internet connection is working perfectly and no issues with other sites)

(I have some other search engines I use for specific things, but looking to troubleshoot this if anyone knows the solution...)

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[–] Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org 45 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Reminder: Startpage was sold to System1, an Ad-Company.

[–] raqqed@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 week ago (2 children)

thanks for the info! so what are recommended alternatives?

[–] FosterMolasses@leminal.space 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Qwant is decent, better image results too

Do they rate limit as hard as searx/startpage? I can search like 10 things a day on those and that just doesn't cut it with the level of ADHD I've been saddled with.

[–] Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org 1 points 1 week ago

I just use DDG... not optimal still but I feel kinda defeated.

[–] m33@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 week ago

That doesn’t sound good 😐

[–] copyscam@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

the ads have been increasingly annoying for me. still always looking for solutions to this enshitification.

[–] douglasg14b@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Kagi.

Been using it for a couple years, everything else just feels gross now when I end up on them on a device without it.

I do a lot of technical research, so it's a good fit, if you largely just look for pop news and stuff probably not.

^Inb4 the user that always responds to Kagi mentions puts me on blast because kAGi UsEs YaNDeX^

[–] Mobile@leminal.space 1 points 1 week ago

Well shit. Thank you for telling me this. I've been using startmail as my alternative to Proton as I de-Googled.

Currently looking to see if Startmail is also owned by System1. Anyone aware of other email services that you use?