Mojeek
| Independent alternative search engine |
https://www.mojeek.com 
Started: 2004
Founder: Marc Smith
Constitutes: search engine
Mojeek is a search engine based in the United Kingdom.[1] The search results provided by Mojeek come from its own index of web pages, created by crawling the web.[2][3] Mojeek states "We provide independent results (of Google, Microsoft or anybody else) that are not based on data that we that others collect about you."[4]
Contents
Own words
Mojeek is a crawler-based search engine that provides independent[5] search results using its own index of web pages, rather than using results from other search engines. This is different from DuckDuckGo or StartPage, which still rely upon mainstream engines (here Bing and Google respectively[6]) to provide them with their organic search results. This reliance on mainstream search engines means they come complete with the bias already present within those search indexes and algorithms.
Search engine algorithms are often considered to be the most trusted source of finding information on the web. However, a lot of search engines fail to provide their users with unbiased results, and many use algorithms to willingly alter them altogether. Sometimes they do this in the name of personalisation, or these days "fake news", running the risk of going against the fundamentals of being unbiased. Mojeek claim to be unbiased, seeing their task as to "provide you with relevant search results, not to force a point of view on you, or hide ones we don't agree with."[7]
On top of this, most search engines use trackers to snatch snippets of personal information which make up your identity. Not only is this unethical (well we think so), in regards to search results it leads to the creation of a "filter bubble"[8]. Because some search engines think they know what's best for you, these filter bubbles are brought about by intricate algorithms which select and rank what you should see, or at least, what they think you should see based on your previous search history or sites you have visited. Because the filter bubble is invisible, it's impossible to figure out the editorial basis on what gets censored and what doesn't. Eric Schmidt said, people "want Google to tell them what they should be doing next".[9]
Mojeek was the first ever non-tracking search engine [10] and therefore avoids creating a filter bubble through not gathering and/or using personal data or search history to affect what a user sees.
History
In 2004, the Mojeek search engine started out as a personal project by Marc Smith at the Sussex Innovation Centre. The search technology was created from the ground up using mostly the C programming language and for much of its early life, the servers were run from Marc's bedroom.[11]
In 2006, Mojeek became the first search engine to have a no tracking privacy policy. This policy remains in place to this day.[12]
After receiving investment, Mojeek was officially incorporated as a limited company in 2009.[13]
On 26 January 2011, it was highlighted as an alternative British-based search engine during a Parliamentary debate on UK internet search engines over "allegations of manipulation of Google's search results, particularly the unfavourable treatment of its unpaid and sponsored results, and the preferential placement of [their] own services."[14]
As of 2013, Mojeek’s servers are run from the Custodian data centres in Maidstone, which bills itself as "one of the greenest data centres in the UK."[15][16]
On 15 April 2015, the BBC's World Global Show and BBC Radio 5 Live talked to Marc about the Mojeek search engine and the EU's decision to file a complaint against Google over alleged anti-competitive behaviour.[17]
In 2017, in partnership with EMRAYS Technologies, Mojeek launched a demo of their emotional search engine which allows users to search for pages with certain emotional content.[18]
Index Size
Mojeek regularly post updates on their blog[19] and other communications channels about increases in the total number of pages they have in their index. In November 2015, Mojeek reached 1-billion pages,[20] then in June 2018, Mojeek's index totalled 2-billion pages,[21] By May 2019, Mojeek's index contained over 2.3-billion pages.[22] then in April 2020, that number increased to over 3 billion.[23] In June 2021, Mojeek announced they had passed 4-billion pages,[24] with 5 billion coming in March 2022, [25] and 6 billion in October 2022.[26] As of 2024 Mojeek had stopped putting out blogs when reaching milestones, but they still communicate about the size of their index. In November 2024 they stated that they were "near" 8.5-billion pages.[27]
References
- ↑ https://www.keith-griffiths.com/2018/03/top-10-search-engines-in-the-uk Top 10 Search Engines in the UK 18-03-25
- ↑ https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent-business/county-news/custodian-data-centre-billions-revenue-maidstone-121459/ More than £1.5 billion of revenue passes through servers held at Custodian Data Centre, the high-security site in Maidstone, Kent Online, 17-03-02]
- ↑ https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=0hcpDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA40&dq=mojeek&pg=PA40#v=onepage&q=mojeek&f=false Expert Internet Searching: Fifth edition
- ↑ https://www.mojeek.com/about/press/
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20130526051237/http://www.pandia.com/sew/173-have-it-your-way-with-the-mojeek-search-engine.html
- ↑ https://www.searchenginemap.com/
- ↑ https://blog.mojeek.com/2018/08/independent-and-unbiased-search-results.html
- ↑ https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles
- ↑ https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704901104575423294099527212
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20060318104627/http://www.mojeek.com/privacy.html
- ↑ http://techmash.co.uk/2018/09/05/mojeek-search-engine/
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20060318104627/http://www.mojeek.com/privacy.htm
- ↑ https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/06918197
- ↑ https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110126/halltext/110126h0002.htm#column_133WH
- ↑ Mojeek Colocation Case Study, Custodian Data Centre, 18-06-30
- ↑ https://www.custodiandc.com
- ↑ https://blog.mojeek.com/2015/04/mojeek-interviewed-on-bbc.html
- ↑ https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2017/07/14/artificial-emotional-intelligence-for-web-browsing/
- ↑ https://blog.mojeek.com/
- ↑ https://www.mojeek.com/about/press/2015/mojeek_passes_billion_page_milestone.html
- ↑ https://blog.mojeek.com/2018/06/two-billion-pages.html
- ↑ https://searchenginewatch.com/2019/03/05/mojeek-alternative-to-google/
- ↑ https://blog.mojeek.com/2020/04/three-billion-page-milestone-and-app-availability.html
- ↑ https://blog.mojeek.com/2021/06/four-billion-pages.html
- ↑ https://blog.mojeek.com/2022/03/five-billion-pages.html
- ↑ https://blog.mojeek.com/2022/10/mojeek-now-six-billion-pages.html
- ↑ https://mastodon.social/@Mojeek/113514590402247082
