How to set up a safe search engine in Safari 6?

Question

Level 1

16 points

How to set up a safe search engine in Safari 6?

Wonderfully simple installation of Mountain Lion, went without a single hitch - but one problem emerged.

Safari 6 comes with a URL bar that automatically submits whatever you typed to a search engine when it's not a website - in other words, a typo means that your selected search engine gets given information about you, even if you don't want that for whatever reason (for instance, because you're working on a confidential project).

The question is thus: how do I either prevent Safari from handing off my data (i.e. disable the dual function concept) or set Safari to use a search engine that protects user privacy such as ixquick or startpage? I do use Google, Yahoo and Bing occasionally, but then I have full control.

As far as I can see at the moment, my only option appears to be using another browser..

Safari 6-OTHER, OS X Mountain Lion

Posted on Aug 1, 2012 3:44 AM

Reply

Answer 1

thomas_r.

Level 7

31,989 points

Aug 1, 2012 3:48 AM in response to Second MUYB

In Safari's Privacy preferences, check the box that says "Prevent search engine from providing suggestions." This should prevent Safari from sending whatever you type to the search engine to get a list os suggestions, though of course if you type anything other than a web address in there, it will still be sent to the search engine.

Reply

Answer 2

Second MUYB Author

Level 1

16 points

Aug 1, 2012 4:03 AM in response to thomas_r.

That function got already disabled from my first trawl for all possible OSX 10.8 settings that could jeopardize confidentiality, but the hand-off to a search engine still happens when you mistype.

The issue is one of control. Especially in government environments you do not want OSX to go off to some search engine with an unintended query because your every move is logged. Thanks to this "feature" you may end up having to answer for searches you didn't intend to make - especially when combined with the plague of overenthusiastic auto-correct that has landed on every OS and application since approx 2008 or so..

Reply

Answer 3

lisfolks

Level 1

128 points

May 6, 2014 9:25 AM in response to Second MUYB

Yeah, this is probably related to this issue that just popped up regarding "unintentional file leak[s] from storage sites":

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27285786

Please separate the search from the location bar, Apple!

I'll post this in feedback, too, of course...

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

Reply

Answer 4

thomas_r.

Level 7

31,989 points

May 6, 2014 10:54 AM in response to lisfolks

Yeah, this is probably related to this issue that just popped up regarding "unintentional file leak[s] from storage sites"

Nope. That relates to accidentally pasting a link to some "private" data into the search box instead of the address box - a problem that Safari would not suffer from, not having a separate search box.

Of course, anyone who thinks that a publicly-accessible page on a web server is "private" isn't thinking too clearly anyway.

Reply