Your privacy isn't a feature.
It's our architecture.

Aristos Search is built from the ground up so that tracking you is technically impossible — not just a policy we promise to follow.

What makes us different

Most search engines say they care about privacy. We made it impossible for us to violate yours — even if we wanted to.

Typical Search Engine

  • Stores every search you make
  • Builds a profile of your interests
  • Tracks you across the web with cookies
  • Sells your attention to advertisers
  • Subject to foreign government data requests
  • Your IP address sent to multiple third parties
  • Search history retained for years
  • Personalised results create filter bubbles

Aristos Search

  • Zero search history — we store nothing
  • No user profiles, no interest tracking
  • No cookies, no fingerprinting, no analytics
  • No ads — organic results only, always
  • Australian Privacy Act jurisdiction
  • Your IP never reaches search providers
  • No data retention — nothing to hand over
  • Unbiased results — same for everyone

How it works, technically

Transparency matters. Here's exactly what happens when you search.

1

You type a query

Your search query is sent over an encrypted HTTPS connection to our Australian server. We do not log the query, your IP address, user agent, or any identifying information. There are no analytics scripts, tracking pixels, or third-party JavaScript on this page.

2

We proxy the request

Our server makes the search request to Brave's independent search index on your behalf. Your IP address, browser fingerprint, and cookies are never forwarded. Brave sees our server's IP — not yours. This is a true privacy proxy, not a simple redirect.

3

Results are returned to you

Search results are sent back through the same encrypted connection. Results may be cached briefly (up to 1 hour) to improve speed for popular queries — but the cache contains only search results, never who searched for them. The cache entry has no connection to any user.

4

Connection ends. Nothing remains.

Once the results are delivered, there is no record of your search. No log file, no database entry, no analytics event. It's as if the search never happened. We couldn't tell you what you searched for yesterday even if a court ordered us to.

Six pillars of Aristos privacy

Zero Tracking

No cookies. No fingerprinting. No analytics scripts. No tracking pixels. We literally cannot identify you. There is no mechanism in our system that distinguishes one user from another.

Privacy Proxy

Every search request is proxied through our server. Your IP address never reaches Brave, and Brave's tracking never reaches you. We act as an opaque shield between you and the search index.

Australian Law

Aristos is an Australian company, hosted in Australia, subject to the Australian Privacy Act 1988. Your data is not subject to US PATRIOT Act, FISA, or other foreign surveillance frameworks.

Independent Index

We use Brave Search's independent web index — built from scratch, not dependent on Google or Microsoft. This means your results aren't filtered through Big Tech's algorithms or business interests.

No Data Retention

We don't log searches, IP addresses, timestamps, or any identifiable information. Our servers process your request and immediately discard all trace of it. There is no database of user activity.

No Ads, Ever

Every result you see is organic. No paid placements, no sponsored links, no tracking pixels embedded in results. We will never monetise your attention or manipulate your results for profit.

AI answers, privately

When Aristos provides AI-powered answers, your privacy is maintained through a strict server-side proxy model.

Local-First AI

Our preferred AI provider runs entirely on our own server using Ollama. Your query never leaves our infrastructure. No cloud API is called. This is the gold standard of AI privacy.

Cloud Fallback — Still Private

If local AI is unavailable, we may use a cloud provider (Anthropic or OpenAI) as a server-side proxy. Your IP, identity, browser info, and search history are never sent. The AI provider sees only the search query text — nothing else.

No AI? No Problem.

If no AI provider is available, the feature silently disappears. You still get full search results. AI answers are an enhancement, never a dependency. We never compromise your experience or privacy to force a feature.

What we store

Complete transparency. Here is everything Aristos stores, and everything it doesn't.

We store

  • Anonymised search cache Popular search results are cached for up to 1 hour to improve speed. Cache entries contain only the query text and results — no user information whatsoever.
  • SafeSearch preference Stored in your browser's localStorage. This never leaves your device and is not sent to our server in any identifiable way.
  • Theme preference Dark/light mode setting, stored in your browser's localStorage. Never transmitted.

We never store

  • Your IP address
  • Your search queries linked to any identifier
  • Cookies of any kind
  • Browser fingerprints
  • User accounts or profiles
  • Click-through data
  • Location data
  • Device information
  • Referrer headers
  • Session identifiers
  • Analytics or telemetry
"Excellence is not an act, but a habit."
Aristotle

Named after Aristotle

Aristos is derived from the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, whose pursuit of knowledge and wisdom shaped Western thought for millennia. We believe that the pursuit of knowledge should be free from surveillance, manipulation, and corporate exploitation.

Built in Geraldton, Western Australia, Aristos Search prioritises Australian content, businesses, and privacy standards while serving global results. We are part of the Localworks family, operated by Polstar Holdings.

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