Free search: We don't collect your data. We don't track you. We don't know who you are.
Suite accounts: We store only what's needed (email, encrypted password, subscription status). No tracking. No profiling. You can export or delete anytime.
OldSchoolSearch is built on a simple principle: your searches are none of our business. We don't log your queries. We don't store your IP address. We don't use cookies to track you across the web.
When you search, your query goes to our server, gets results, and comes back to you. Then we forget you ever existed. As it should be.
For Suite users: If you create an account, we store only the essentials—your email, encrypted password, and subscription status. We never track your searches or build profiles, even with an account.
| Data Type | Collected? |
|---|---|
| Search queries | NO |
| IP addresses | NO |
| Cookies | NO |
| Browser fingerprints | NO |
| Click tracking | NO |
| Analytics | NO |
| Data Type | Collected? | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Email address | YES | Account identification, password reset |
| Password | YES | Stored encrypted (bcrypt), never plain text |
| Subscription tier | YES | Access control (Free/Plus/Suite) |
| Account creation date | YES | Service management |
| Session cookie | YES | Keep you logged in (httpOnly, secure) |
| Search history | NO | |
| Usage analytics | NO | |
| Behavioral tracking | NO |
Payment data: We use Stripe for payment processing. We never see or store your credit card numbers. Stripe provides us only: payment status, last 4 digits (for display), and transaction IDs. Full financial data stays with Stripe, governed by their privacy policy.
When you search on OldSchoolSearch:
server.limiter: false
and no result logging. Search requests are proxied through SearXNG, which anonymizes
them before querying upstream engines. Your IP is never sent to Google, Bing, or any other source.
OldSchoolSearch aggregates results from multiple search engines (Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and others) via SearXNG. These engines never see your IP address or any identifying information. SearXNG acts as an anonymizing proxy between you and them.
We don't use any third-party analytics, advertising networks, or tracking scripts. View our page source—it's just HTML, CSS, and vanilla JavaScript. No hidden trackers.
Free search: No cookies. None. Zero.
Suite accounts: When you log in, we set a single session cookie to keep you authenticated. This cookie is:
No tracking cookies. No third-party cookies. No analytics cookies. Just one authentication cookie if you choose to create an account.
Basic server access logs may temporarily exist for operational purposes (debugging errors, preventing abuse). These logs contain only timestamps and request paths—not IP addresses or queries. They are automatically rotated and deleted.
"Privacy is not something that I'm merely entitled to, it's an absolute prerequisite."
Because we don't collect your data, there's nothing to:
This is privacy by design. We can't give away what we don't have.
Under GDPR and similar privacy laws, you have the right to:
To exercise these rights, visit your Account Settings page or email privacy@oldschoolsearch.co.uk. We'll respond within 30 days as required by GDPR.
Search data: Never stored. Zero retention period.
Account data: Retained while your account is active. When you delete your account:
Inactive accounts: If you don't log in for 3 years, we'll send a reminder email. No response after 90 days = automatic account deletion.
In the unlikely event of a data breach affecting Suite accounts, we will:
Your passwords are encrypted with bcrypt—even in a breach, they cannot be reversed to plain text. We recommend unique passwords for every service (use a password manager).
If we change this policy, we'll update this page and note the "Last updated" date below. For Suite users, we'll email notification of any material changes. Our commitment to minimal data collection and no tracking will never change—it's our core principle.
Last updated: December 25, 2025
Search privately. It's your right.
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