Yauba New Media launches ‘privacy safe’ search engine Yauba.com

by Satrajit Sen

Delhi-based Yauba New Media has launched Yauba.com, a ‘privacy safe’ search engine that promises to protect users' safety, security and privacy online. According to the company, Yauba users need not worry about their search details being tracked, recorded and stored; their personal and private information compromised or sold to unscrupulous websites; or their online activities being tracked and communicated to other unknown parties.

“Most people have absolutely no idea how much information websites collect from their users,” Ahmed Hossain, founder and chief information officer, Yauba, has said. “If people knew, they would be completely shocked. But what is much worse is that many unscrupulous websites take advantage of this ignorance by seeking ways to exploit their users’ personal details.”

“Our technology helps prevent such abuses from happening,” Ahmed Hossain has added. “We don’t keep cookies and any personal information of the user. Our job is to take the user where he wants to go and after taking him there, we stop.”

Yauba, whose privacy policy consists of only nine words -- “We do not keep any personally identifiable information. Period.” -- has tried to debunk the myth that privacy is a complicated concept. According to the company, “Privacy is not complicated at all. It is actually very simple. Unfortunately, many internet companies deliberately cloak their privacy policies in lengthy and incomprehensible legalese to confuse their users while covertly reserving the right to resell their users' private information to third parties later on.”

When asked about how the company plans to compete with Google, Sameer Caan, business development director, Yauba Europe, told AlooTechie, “We respect Google and are not competing with them. We are not here to overtake Google in business; rather our focus is based on providing a safe searching platform for users.” Not surprisingly, ads on Yauba.com are currently powered by Google.

According to Yauba, its search engine was developed over the past three years in Bangalore, Delhi and London. The user interface and design was done by Delhi-based online consulting and design agency 1Brandgood Partners, a Yauba affiliated company. Yauba.com is currently being operated by a 20-member team and is internally funded.

Though advertising is its primary source of revenue, Yauba is also eyeing to earn revenues by providing its search technology as SAAS (software as a service) to web properties who want to incorporate them. Besides, the company has also partnered with CafePress.com to create and sell Yauba branded merchandise at CafePress.com/Yauba.