Every click, query, and curiosity logged, tracked, and monetized. Now, this model is being challenged by privacy-first engines built on web3 principles.
Decentralized search engines have your back, protecting your privacy and making sure no one can mess with your search results.
They perform the indexing and ranking of web pages with the help of a distributed network of nodes. This means there is no controlling entity; instead, power rests with the community, deciding how results are ranked through a voting system.
Privacy, persuasion, and the case against Big Tech
“The new era of internet and Web3 allow users to truly own their data,” Pierre-Georges Marcelin, Web3 Consult Founder, told The Crypto Radio. “If a service is free, you are the product. I simply cannot accept the way major companies like Google or Facebook control and exploit personal data.”
Traditional search engines collect extensive personal data to personalize ads and rank search results. Their algorithms, controlled by large companies, can be biased and are often hidden.
For example, Google collects data through web tracking technologies like IP address tracking and cookies, as well as from users’ activity on services like Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, and Google Assistant.
By contrast, “decentralized platforms improve the advertising experience by focusing on contextual rather than personal data. Users get relevant ads without invasive data harvesting,” Marcelin noted. “This enhances trust and aligns better with Web3 values of user sovereignty.”
Marcelin also pointed to the role of captology – the study of how computers can influence behavior – in traditional systems. “These tools are used to manipulate decisions based on collected data,” he said. “This is why I believe blockchain technology is essential for building more transparency, security, and freedom.”
Why adoption still lags behind
Despite the promises, getting people to switch isn’t easy.
“While notable decentralized search engines like Presearch, YaCy, and Stract are growing and attracting early adopters, they still face obstacles regarding mass adoption due to performance gaps and limited results compared to traditional systems,” Marcelin said.
“Decentralized engines often use community-driven or blockchain-based ranking systems, which can reduce manipulation and monopolization. However, the lack of highly sophisticated algorithms sometimes results in less optimized results, affecting the user experience,” he explained.
Eneko Knörr, CEO of Stabolut, is also “skeptical” about decentralized search engines offering better targeting.
“Yes, traditional search engines collect a lot of personal information — your age, interests, search history, and clicks — which can feel invasive. But that’s exactly why they’re able to show you ads and results that actually match your interests,” Knörr told The Crypto Radio.
Different tools for different values
Even with their limitations, decentralized systems resonate with a certain kind of user.
“They appeal to those seeking censorship resistance, privacy, and open information, whether users in restrictive regions or those aligned with crypto and web3 principles,” said Nic Young, CEO of Oh.xyz.
“Centralized search engines offer more convenient results but sacrifice privacy, control, and transparency.”
Knörr agreed: “Centralized platforms often trade away these benefits for profit or influence, while blockchain-based systems put power back in users’ hands and sometimes even offer financial rewards, making them attractive alternatives to traditional search engines.”
Young added that the divide between centralized and decentralized systems is ultimately about values: “More people use AI for quick answers, but without source clarity, while crypto and web3 groups push for transparent, uncensored information so they can think for themselves. Neither is inherently superior – they cater to fundamentally different needs.”
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