this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2024

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Kagi search engine working with Russia (fedia.io)

submitted 3 weeks ago by troed@fedia.io to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

38 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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 86 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

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 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I am surpised yandex aint sanctioned tbh

[–] scorp@lemmy.ml 8 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

probably because us government employees use its reverse image search for how good it is

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 4 points 3 weeks ago

Google nuked that feature... Hmmm

[–] montar@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 weeks ago

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

[–] CHOPSTEEQ@lemmy.ml 30 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It’s not a fucking reveal, Kagi tells you exactly what engines they include in their results.

[–] Darthou@lemm.ee 2 points 3 weeks ago

Do they? I remember seeing this in the past but can't find the information anymore. Now they only say "all major search providers" and that was part of the criticism in this "reveal". That they have become more opaque rather than being transparent about it.

This is all the official info I could find. Please share if anyone can find anything more. https://help.kagi.com/kagi/search-details/search-sources.html

[–] GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml 14 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Ugh politics again. I hope the admins take this down very soon.

[–] folkrav@lemmy.ca 35 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I have to admit - coming from a lemmy.ml user, this made me chuckle.

[–] GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml 11 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Lemmy.ml is known for terrible moderation but I chose it just because I was new and it was official. Now I'd probably choose something else.

[–] folkrav@lemmy.ca 14 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It’s more about it being a Marxist Leninist instance lol

[–] GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Mister/miss, I'm not even sure if Marxism is even allowed here. I think it's more about "we ban everyone who disagrees with our American political views".

[–] ZeroHora@lemmy.ml 16 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

“we ban everyone who disagrees with our American political views”.

Just what????

[–] GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Well that's what I noticed in my experience. You can't argue with experience yk?

[–] ZeroHora@lemmy.ml 15 points 3 weeks ago

Ok. Pretend it's true and I'll pretend to believe it

[–] AntiOutsideAktion@lemmy.ml 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Maybe .ml has good moderation and you're just insufferable.

[–] GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I read about their questionable behavior somewhere so you should be able to look it up and see it yourself.

[–] AntiOutsideAktion@lemmy.ml 5 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I've heard equally unreliable narrators complain about consequences for their actions from a place of narcissism, yes.

[–] Facebones@reddthat.com 4 points 3 weeks ago

I always see unhinged folk making bad faith arguments or outright shit talk shriek about being banned from ml instances for "disagreeing" then turn around and cheer when .world bans you for linking a source or something.

[–] GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Hmm but narcissistic people usually don't regret their actions.

[–] AntiOutsideAktion@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

lol you're pretty dumb, huh?

[–] GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 weeks ago

I'm not sure, mister/miss.

[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

They're known specifically for being pro-Russia, which is what made the comment amusing.

[–] GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 weeks ago

Then they have no benefit in keeping this post up and they definitely should take it down.

[–] PoorPocketsMcNewHold@lemmy.ml 5 points 3 weeks ago

Still not possible to transfer your account to other instances. https://github.com/LemmyNet/lemmy/issues/1985

[–] Vitaly@feddit.uk 5 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

It's more about the fact that kagi pays yandex and yandex pays taxes to one of the craziest goverment in the world

[–] GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Well Yandex isn't the best choice for anything obviously but (sorry for getting political again) imo US government is worse. And my comment wasn't about that even. The post doesn't have anything to do with privacy so it's offtopic and should be removed.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 3 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Thats the thing... Do we know what kagi is sharing woth yandex or do we just trust they dont too much behond the query?

[–] ZeroHora@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 weeks ago

The thing is we don't know, we can't know and the article just link to a youtube video that I can't understand shit.

They don't need to share things with Yandex, if they share anything valuable with any other major search engine is already fucking bad.

[–] GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

That's another story then. The current post is nothing but hate and politics. The title is clickbait and misleading. It should've been written completely differently.

EDIT: well there's no point in arguing with those who think they can blindly use any means possible to hurt Russia and anything related (or not) to it. It makes sense though still a bit stupid.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 1 points 3 weeks ago

The headline is trash for sure but comment section correct so social media worked it out

[–] AntiOutsideAktion@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago

feddit.uk

[–] Hexadecimalkink@lemmy.ml 10 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Yandex is a really good search engine 🤷‍♂️

[–] troed@fedia.io 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Many of Yandex’s employees resigned in protest, accusing the company of serving as a tool of Kremlin propaganda and actively concealing information about the war.

https://www.zois-berlin.de/en/publications/zois-spotlight/the-sad-fate-of-yandex-from-independent-tech-startup-to-kremlin-propaganda-tool

[–] Hexadecimalkink@lemmy.ml 11 points 3 weeks ago

Go search palestine or ukraine on google news and tell me if you see unbiased news 😉

[–] HaleHirsute@infosec.pub 2 points 3 weeks ago

Hmmm keeping an eye on this thank you.

[–] umbrella@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 weeks ago

they are also worki g with the us 🙄

[–] 4vr@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 weeks ago

Similar controversy when Kagi added Brave search.