The founder of Paoli-based DuckDuckGo is among a growing number of experts warning the public about questionable practices of Internet information giants like Google and Facebook when it comes to personal privacy and independent content, writes Joseph DiStefano for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Gabriel Weinberg of DuckDuckGo, an Internet search engine that emphasizes protecting searchers’ privacy, points out that the best example of this is the situation with FunnyOrDie.com, which was recently forced to lay off half of its staff.

“Facebook has taken their content and, with it, their audience, forcing them to pay to place their own new videos,” said Weinberg. “It’s prohibitively expensive. Your content goes viral, and you don’t make any money.”

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And while some people might argue that algorithms that determine which content will be shown to users are based on math, demographics, and logic, Weinberg said that some investigative reporters have found significant bias in those algorithms.

Weinberg said that the government also does not seem ready to protect users from issues like this.

“Which means that Verizon, Comcast, and other ISPs “can now collect and sell your data, on where you visit,” he said.

Read more about DuckDuckGo in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.

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