Thursday, April 27, 2017

How Qwant Aims to Bring Privacy to the Search Engine Game with AI

On a PC, a phone or from TV, people want information. They want it at home, at work and on the move. And they want it 24/7. They also want, but seldom get, their privacy along with it. The upstart search engine Qwant is using AI, powered by NVIDIA technology, to change that game. The Franco-German startup, which launched in 2013, doesn’t collect users’ personal data. And it doesn’t use cookies to identify people through their browsing activity. This means users won’t have their private browsing information sold to advertising companies.

For most search engine users, remaining anonymous online is near impossible. Search activity and personal data are collected and compiled to tell a comprehensive history of everything people have ever searched for. This can create a detailed timeline that stretches back years. Advertisers can use this data to target the ads people see, with sometimes disconcerting effect. Shopping for shoes online can result in footwear ads stomping across every page you visit weeks later. And search engines can use the data to adjust search results, potentially changing how a person views the world.