Added by Tommy Towards almost 3 years ago. Updated over 2 years ago.
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Description
Recently Startpage is requiring JavaScript to show results
https://support.startpage.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/1351/0/why-are-we-requiring-users-to-enable-javascript
Not only should this search engine be changed off the default one, but should also be removed from the list, as it doesn't seem to offer a no JavaScript version
Requiring JavaScript disqualifies Startpage from being both the default search engine and from being included in the list of search engines at all. See https://www.stoutner.com/requirements-for-a-search-engine-to-be-included/.
This is the first I have heard of this. Startpage does not yet require JavaScript in my region (the announcement says they will be rolling it out slowly by region). However, since that is their intention, I will be removing Startpage from Privacy Browser. Candidates to replace Startpage as the default search engine include the following.
Monocles - https://redmine.stoutner.com/issues/714
MetaGer - https://redmine.stoutner.com/issues/679
If I may, wouldn't it be better to present the user with the list of search engines on first setup for them to choose, instead of relying on a default one? Maybe the list could have some cons and pros, for example:
MetaGer:
+ Fully fledged metasearch engine.
+ Doesn't need JavaScript or cookies to work
- Has partnership results with tracking links
Maybe some links to their webpages, privacy policy, etc, to educate users?
I personally find any popup that presents itself when I open an app for the first time to be so excessively annoying that there is almost no chance I will ever do that to my users with Privacy Browser. The users can easily change the default search engine in the settings if they want to.