Startpage Relisted on PrivacyTools.io as a Recommended Private Search Engine

Startpage, from the same founders as StartMail, has been relisted as a recommended Privacy Respecting Search Engine on the PrivacyTools website. Delivering privacy-centric tools remains the top focus for both Startpage and StartMail.

Our history

Since 2006, it has been Startpage’s mission to protect people’s right to privacy worldwide. In 2013, the founders of Startpage introduced StartMail. When it comes to providing private email service and the world’s most private search engine, we understand that user trust is paramount. Transparent communication is a cornerstone of that trust.

In 2019, we saw that as a company, Startpage fell short in quickly communicating the news about an investment by System1 to the Startpage community. While our mission statement, privacy policies and privacy practices remained unchanged and the strongest in the industry, we needed to improve our customer communication. The investment by System1 into Startpage provided an expansion to the product team, the hiring of privacy-minded marketers to grow the user base, and the launching of new privacy features such as the un-profiled News tab.

Regaining trust

In hindsight, the leadership team at Startpage realized that we had been slow and incomplete in publicly announcing the value and purpose of this investment to the outside world. It created misinformation and debate on social forums and questions on the nature of the investment. This caused the PrivacyTools organization to de-list our search engine for internal review at that time.

Our team recognized this shortcoming via user comments and came together to respond more frequently and more openly shortly after.

Relisting

Staying the transparent course with PrivacyTools rightfully convinced the organization to relist Startpage as a “Privacy Respecting Search Engine.” In their relisting of Startpage, PrivacyTools points out Startpage is “a European company based in the Netherlands that has been obsessive about privacy since 2006.”  It’s this obsession for privacy that will help Startpage to perfect our private search engine!

The renewed support and trust of PrivacyTools means a great deal to our company and to our shared founders and support teams. Receiving recognition from PrivacyTools motivates our teams to continue building products that empower people to take back their online privacy! We’re thankful for the privacy community at-large and look forward to on-going, open dialogue.

Speaking of online privacy, one of PrivacyTool’s recommended email services is StartMail! Get started now with a free 7-Day StartMail Trial Account!