Private Search Engine Mojeek Adds Openverse, a Search Tool For Openly-Licensed Images

In a move to enhance its user experience and broaden the scope of image search, private search engine Mojeek has incorporated Openverse, a platform dedicated to openly-licensed media. This latest feature marks a new chapter in Mojeek’s journey to remain independent of Big Tech, an ethos that has been deeply ingrained since its inception. Until recently, Mojeek’s image search function relied on Pixabay and Bing, platforms incorporated back in 2018. Pixabay, a repository of over 4 million royalty-free and stock images, was aligned with Mojeek’s values of independence, simplicity, and usability. However, to cater to users requiring a broader search, Bing was added to the mix, albeit without making it the default choice to maintain Mojeek’s core value of independence from Big Tech. However, recent developments including Microsoft’s API pricing decisions and user feedback led Mojeek to move away from Bing, while retaining Pixabay as the primary Image Search tool. Yet, the recent addition of Openverse indicates Mojeek’s consistent pursuit of enriching its users’ experience. Openverse, an innovative platform that hosts over 700 million Creative Commons licensed and public domain image and audio files, diversifies Mojeek’s search capabilities. With Openverse, users can now access a vast array of images from 45 different sources such as Wikimedia Commons and Flickr. It empowers users to utilize these images for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution, and even some without. Even for commercial use, Openverse offers an impressive collection that will cater to diverse requirements. Openverse paves the way for independent creators and hobbyists…Private Search Engine Mojeek Adds Openverse, a Search Tool For Openly-Licensed Images