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Fed Up With Google, Conspiracy Theorists Turn to DuckDuckGo
NYT ^ | 02 23 2022 | Stuart A. Thompson

Posted on 02/23/2022 10:12:09 AM PST by yesthatjallen

On an episode of Joe Rogan’s popular podcast last year, he turned to a topic that has gripped right-wing communities and other Americans who feel skeptical about the pandemic: search engines.

“If I wanted to find specific cases about people who died from vaccine-related injuries, I had to go to DuckDuckGo,” Mr. Rogan said, referring to the small privacy-focused search engine. “I wasn’t finding them on Google.”

Praise for DuckDuckGo has become a popular refrain during the pandemic among right-wing social media influencers and conspiracy theorists who question Covid-19 vaccines and push discredited coronavirus treatments. Some have posted screenshots showing that DuckDuckGo appears to surface more links favorable to their views than Google does.

In addition to Mr. Rogan, who has recently been at the center of an outcry about misinformation on his podcast, the search engine has received ringing endorsements from some of the world’s most-downloaded conservative podcasters, including Ben Shapiro and Dan Bongino.

“Google is actively suppressing search results that don’t acquiesce to traditional viewpoints of the left,” Mr. Shapiro claimed last March. “I recommend you install DuckDuckGo on your computer, rather than Google, to combat all this.”

The endorsements underscore how right-wing Americans and conspiracy theorists are shifting their online activity in response to greater moderation from tech giants like Google. They have increasingly embraced fledgling and sometimes fringe platforms like the chat app Telegram, the video streamer Rumble and even search engines like DuckDuckGo, seeking conditions that seem more favorable to their conspiracy theories and falsehoods.

SNIP

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: conspiracytheories; duckduckgo; google; joerogan; mediawingofthednc; newyork; newyorkcity; newyorkslimes; newyorktimes; panicporn; paranoia; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; stuartathompson; walterdurantytimes; wdtimes
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People are getting tired of the Google algorithm manipulation and looking for other sources.

Did Google ask the self-proclaimed "newspaper of record" to set the record straight? Do YOU use DuckDuckGo? Are YOU a conspiracy theorist?

Don't be a conspiracy theorist. Use Google.

1 posted on 02/23/2022 10:12:10 AM PST by yesthatjallen
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To: yesthatjallen

Next they will be calling for DuckDuckGo to be hacked, workers to be doxed, employees to be shamed...everything good for Democracy.


2 posted on 02/23/2022 10:14:41 AM PST by frogjerk (I will not do business with fascists)
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To: yesthatjallen

Sure, the nyt is looking out for you. I use DuckDuckGo, no different then google. They both are trying to shape your views by what is presented to you in their search results.


3 posted on 02/23/2022 10:15:00 AM PST by JoSixChip (2020: The year of unreported truths; 2021: My main take away from this year? Trust no one.)
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To: yesthatjallen

The duck has uses, so does bing, so does google.

depending on the type of search I am doing I will use any of all of these.


4 posted on 02/23/2022 10:16:29 AM PST by algore
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To: yesthatjallen

To the NYT anyone who questions the official narrative of the Ministry of Propaganda is a “conspiracy theorist”.


5 posted on 02/23/2022 10:16:38 AM PST by Lurkinanloomin ( (Natural born citizens are born here of citizen parents)(Know Islam, No Peace-No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: yesthatjallen

“Do YOU use DuckDuckGo?”
Been using it for years, probably 10 or more.
I run Linux O/S.
I use Brave as a browser.
I hate Windows and can’t afford Apple.


6 posted on 02/23/2022 10:16:56 AM PST by rellic
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To: yesthatjallen

Rogan 1768 talks about this with Dr. Robert Epstein. Very fascinating. He also suggests using Brave search engine.


7 posted on 02/23/2022 10:17:17 AM PST by Rural_Michigan
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To: yesthatjallen

And Google provides conditions that are more favorable to the left wing’s favorite conspiracy theories and falsehoods.


8 posted on 02/23/2022 10:17:45 AM PST by Brilliant
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To: algore

Try
GIBIRU.com


9 posted on 02/23/2022 10:18:19 AM PST by ptsal (Vote R.E.D. >>>Remove Every Democrat ***)
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To: yesthatjallen

DDG has changed, gradually at first, and much worse lately.


10 posted on 02/23/2022 10:18:52 AM PST by jjotto ( Blessed are You LORD, who crushes enemies and subdues the wicked.)
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To: yesthatjallen

Hey computer guys what do you think of goodsearch.com? I try to use it because my chosen charity (I think Judicial Watch) gets a penny each time or something


11 posted on 02/23/2022 10:19:11 AM PST by Persevero (You cannot comply your way out of tyranny. )
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To: All

IMHO they’re going after Trump’s media company. They’re just starting with duckduckgo so it won’t seem quite so obvious.


12 posted on 02/23/2022 10:19:56 AM PST by SteveH (.)
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To: yesthatjallen

I got tired of Bing, it really stinks. It’s not a search engine, it’s a “I’ll point you where I want you to go engine.”

Dogpile, Duck both better. Sometimes I even stack them, Dogpile first, then into DuckDuckGo. Probably makes no difference but it’s satisfying somehow.


13 posted on 02/23/2022 10:20:17 AM PST by SaxxonWoods ("If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies in yourself." - Minquass)
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To: yesthatjallen

I really wanted to like DuckDuckGo and I tried it for about a month. But, I kept having to go back to Google when I didn’t get the results I needed. A better mouse trap has to catch more mice.


14 posted on 02/23/2022 10:20:33 AM PST by Poison Pill
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To: yesthatjallen

I haven’t used Rumble much, but I thought it was open to everyone. How is it ‘fringe’?


15 posted on 02/23/2022 10:20:52 AM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: yesthatjallen

Riiiight NY Slimes, people are going to Duck Duck go because they are conspiracy theorist.

I love when I can show a democrat coworker how google will prevent the search of numerous websites by requiring an exact spelling but Duck Duck Go actually will find it in a search on just a few letters. Websites with MASSIVE hits but somehow google just can’t seem to put them in the search page..

Jerks.


16 posted on 02/23/2022 10:21:16 AM PST by Skwor
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17 posted on 02/23/2022 10:21:27 AM PST by yesthatjallen
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To: yesthatjallen

Censoring search results and aligning search results to favor one political party is an illegal political contribution-in-kind and the executives at Google are long overdue to be charged and fined.


18 posted on 02/23/2022 10:24:01 AM PST by T.B. Yoits
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To: yesthatjallen

I’ve been using Duck Duck go for years. Hate the name, love the service. They need a name take can be a verb


19 posted on 02/23/2022 10:24:48 AM PST by McGavin999 (To shut down the border tell the administration the cartel is smuggling Ivermectin )
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To: yesthatjallen

I’ve been using DDG for about a year now. I haven’t had any issues with it.


20 posted on 02/23/2022 10:25:26 AM PST by Allegra
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