Edge sends search results from any search you make to Microsoft by default. The feature is not limited to searching through Bing, but Microsoft is up to date on every search you make on all search engines (Google, DuckDuckGo or StartPage).
If you use Microsoft Edge as your primary or secondary browser, you should check the application settings to see if the search data is being sent to Microsoft.
Microsoft Edge Assistance displays a pop-up shortly after launching the application. He says you can help Microsoft improve search, and that Microsoft "will collect search results from your browser to improve its products and services."
The data collected by Microsoft is "never related" to the user or device, he says Microsoft.
So if you check the settings you will see a setting called "Help improve Microsoft products by sending web search results." You will find it in the privacy section.
How to check if Microsoft Edge sends search data to Microsoft
Open the inside page edge: // settings / privacy # searchServiceImprovement on the Edge and you will see the relevant setting. Disable the "Help improve Microsoft products by sending web search results" option.
Microsoft collects:
- The search term
- The search results are displayed.
- The interaction with search results, such as the links you click.
- Demographic data.
Other data may be collected, but the above four are explicitly mentioned by Microsoft. According to the company all data is collected to improve the user experience on Edge, Bing, Microsoft News and other corporate services.
Microsoft claims that it clears and decrypts data "by removing data identifying the person or device from which it was collected", that it does not use the data for "personalization or ad delivery", and that it never associates the data with any account or device .
