Comment on Mullvad's privacy-focused search engine Leta is now free for all users | Leta acts as a proxy for Google and Brave search results

Elgenzay@lemmy.ml ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

• TheLowestStone@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  I do like it because when I’m trying to find out more information about break8ng events I want to know if I’m getting outdated information. Also, knowing that someone, somewhere in the world entered the same search terms as you within the last 30 days tells you absolutely nothing about that person.

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  • Elgenzay@lemmy.ml ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    Unless the terms include a name or location. Plus Leta is not widely used.

    Suppose you tell someone in secret that you were arrested. You know they use Leta, so you look up “John Doe arrest” later and see that it was just recently cached. You only told one person so it must have been them. You now know what someone searched because they used Leta.

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    • brbposting@sh.itjust.works ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      uh-oh

      Leta is not widely used.

      Please everyone, help click

      leta.mullvad.net/?q=hide+body+lake+vs+forest&oc=1

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    • TheLowestStone@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      Unless the terms include a name or location.

      This is somewhat valid but it still doesn’t really tell you anything about who searched for that thing. You only know that someone else searched for it and how long ago it happened. You have no idea who they are, where they are, or why they entered that search term.

      Suppose you tell someone in secret that you were arrested. You know they use Leta, so you look up “John Doe arrest” later and see that it was just recently cached. You only told one person so it must have been them. You now know what someone searched because they used Leta.

      No, you don’t know that. You are assuming it.

      You don’t have a comprehensive list of Leta users and you aren’t the only person who knows about your arrest. There’s at very least the cops, whatever support staff they have around at the time, and anyone they talked to. Then there’s any witnesses to the arrest, everyone who could have seen you in the back of a cop car, and everyone they talked to. Even if you were somehow arrested and processed by a single officer in total secret and then he killed himself in front of you before he could tell anyone else, there’s still the possibility that your friend betrayed your confidence and told other people about your arrest.

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      • Elgenzay@lemmy.ml ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

        It was just an example but ok, let’s fix it.

        You want to see if someone is nosy so you lie and tell them you were arrested in 2006. You check and see “John Doe arrest 2006” or “John Doe 2006 arrest” is cached.

        You get the idea.

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