Sorry, I updated the title. By location I meant IP.
If we have location-based results it means that they shares (let's say) the gussed city name with Microsoft.
Saying *we throw away both the guessed location and the IP address* is bullshit. They share it with Microsoft, and Microsoft keeps it.
>it means that they shares (let's say) the gussed city name with Microsoft.
I'm not sure I understand or maybe I'm missing something, sharing the guessed city is not "technically" sharing your IP address? (I understand that it's still sharing more info than what you thought)
Let's say the steps are:
1. You type in "exhibition" to ddg
2. DDG sends "exhibition in <guessed city>" to Bing using its own random datacenter IP address
3. Sends you back results
Did it now "share your IP address with Microsoft"?
As a general rule, the more unpopulated your locale is and the more niche your searches from that location are the easier it is for Microsoft to create a profile of you despite ddg's own intentions.
For example, you would probably be the only Real Betis fanatic who builds their own smart home devices suffering with tongue cancer and who happens to live in <smallGermanTown>, and Microsft could establish that profile as long as ddg sends the town info to Microsoft with every separate search within some time window.
Sharing the city name with Microsoft if it’s uncorrelated with an IP address is not a privacy concern. To Microsoft, all they can see is “an anonymous ddg query about restaurants in <city>.”
As others have noted, and DDG themselves have clarified, it's possible to request a geospecified result without disclosing to Microsoft Bing either your IP address or anything personally identifying.
Your initial accusation here and follow-up are unwarranted.
Last week lcamtuf published a blog post on corporate life which exactly fits here. Whatever you do as a staff for your company, they still can fire you easily. Corporates want you to consider them as family, but they don't do it themselves.
If we have location-based results it means that they shares (let's say) the gussed city name with Microsoft. Saying *we throw away both the guessed location and the IP address* is bullshit. They share it with Microsoft, and Microsoft keeps it.