The private search engine, Startpage, has announced a new feature called Anonymous View that allows users to protect against tracking when they visit a website. The new feature is essentially like other proxy services but takes more action in order to stop browser and device fingerprinting by altering the JavaScript to protect privacy.

Discussing the new feature, Startpage CEO, Robert Beens, said:

“With this innovation, we make it easier for consumers to keep personal data more private than ever before. Anonymous View is easy to use and unique for any search engine. Unlike the incognito mode in your browser, Anonymous View really protects you. It combines searching in privacy with viewing in privacy.”

Users can take advantage of the new feature by performing a search and pressing the Anonymous View link next to each result. After the user hits this button, Startpage retrieves the page and shows it to the user while altering any JavaScript that could identify the user. The website will see that it has been visited by Startpage but the user will remain invisible to the website itself.

In its help pages, Startpage points out that Anonymous View offers even more protection than VPN services because VPNs can’t mitigate against browser and device fingerprinting. Those who want to make certain their privacy remains intact while they’re browsing online could double up Anonymous View with a VPN or some other privacy service like Tor.