HideYourSearch

The HideYourSearch browser add-on can be found at hideyoursearch.com and inside free software packages. The HideYourSearch program is offered to users for free and claims to provide users with a powerful search engine. The search service by HideYourSearch is stated to include a safeguard mechanism that blocks bad links and adult-rated content. The marketing pitch for HideYourSearch reads:

'Easily search the web for FREE unlimited music, movies and articles.
this extension works in the same places you already like to search, so there’s no extra effort needed you can search music artists, songs, albums, images, videos and more.
Join thousands of users today
• Help you protect your privacy.
• Prevent the tracking of your searches by the search engines.
• Keep the searches private.
• Quick and Easy search bar.'

Installing the HideYourSearch add-on means you grant it the following privileges:

• Read and change all your data on the websites you visit.
• Change your search settings to: search.hideyoursearch.com.

As a matter of fact, the HideYourSearch extension and Search.hideyoursearch.com do not offer anything fancy compared to established services like, Google, Bing, Yahoo and DuckDuckGo. You should note that loading Search.hideyoursearch.com correctly does not require the installation of the HideYourSearch add-on beforehand. The statement that HideYourSearch protects your privacy may not be based on facts because all connections to Search.hideyoursearch.com are not encrypted. Moreover, Search.hideyoursearch.com may not be a legitimate search service because it redirects users to us.search.yahoo.com instead of providing results at Search.hideyoursearch.com. The us.search.yahoo.com site is the version of Yahoo for Web surfers based in the USA, and it is a legitimate subdomain of yahoo.com. Your searches via Search.hideyoursearch.com may not be protected, and the developer who created the HideYourSearch app ay offer misleading information.

The HideYourSearch browser add-on is classified as a Potentially Unwanted Program (PUP) that redirects users via Search.hideyoursearch.com to us.search.yahoo.com. You can type
us.search.yahoo.com in your browser's address bar and take advantage of Yahoo services without installing the HideYourSearch browser add-on. That way, your search results cannot be recorded by third parties for marketing purposes, and you will not have to go through Search.hideyoursearch.com to receive search results at Yahoo. You may want to run a scan with a reliable anti-spyware instrument and delete tracking cookies and Web beacons that may have been downloaded by HideYourSearch.