Kagi search engine working with Russia (fedia.io)

submitted 1 month ago by troed@fedia.io to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

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Swedish author and famous pro-Ukraine blogger Lars Wilderäng (Cornucopia) reports today that the Swedish security expert Karl Emil Nikka has revealed that Kagi is using the Kremlin propaganda tool Yandex as a backend for searches.

Wilderäng speculates this might mean search terms are leaking to Russia, while others worry about how Kremlin thus can get their talking points into western search results.

Security expert Karl Emil Nikka tells us that the search engine Kagi, popular among tech geeks, uses Russian Yandex, which was introduced after the full-scale invasion. This, of course, gives Russia the opportunity to look at what is searched for via Kagi.

Link (in Swedish), see 11:22 update: https://cornucopia.se/2024/10/uppdateras-ryssland-medger-bruk-av-c-stridsmedel-mot-ukraina-rysk-pilot-som-mordade-68-ukrainare-ihjalslagen-med-hammare-bland-de-allra-storsta-ryska-forlusterna-under-kriget-igar/

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[-] narc0tic_bird@lemm.ee 111 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I expected something more shocking when I read "working with Russia".

Kagi uses multiple search backends, and of course it needs to forward search terms to these backends. These backends probably can't trace the searches back to the individual Kagi user though, but Yandex could still analyze search trends for example.

What's worse is that - unless they use Yandex' API for free - customers indirectly (and likely unknowingly) support a Russian company with their paid Kagi subscription.

Kagi should at the very least release a statement about this claim.

[-] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 14 points 1 month ago

I am surpised yandex aint sanctioned tbh

[-] lemming741@lemmy.world 27 points 1 month ago

Same, but it's great for finding things US companies want taken down

[-] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 14 points 1 month ago

As much as i hate russia and their bullshit, you aint wrong.

A shrewd internet enjoyer could be using it as a cross reference to check their beloved megacorps offering🐸

[-] scorp@lemmy.ml 13 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

probably because U.S government employees use its reverse image search for how good it is

[-] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 6 points 1 month ago

Google nuked that feature... Hmmm

[-] montar@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 month ago

Aside from reverse image search Yandex is wonderful for obscure things like software reverse engineering.

this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2024

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