actually awesome and fast search engine (depending on which instance you use) with no trashy AI and ADs results also great for privacy, if you don’t know which instance to use go to https://searx.space/ and choose an instance closest to you
It could be a good product. I neither hate it nor like it.
I personally know someone in advertisement and viral marketing is more widespread than I think people realize. That is why I would like people to be sceptical about stuff that gets recommended with this kind of frequency (and IMHO with text in a tone that I’ve read in actual viral marketing campaigns) especially if the product is commercial.
This method of advertising is used because it works and as you can see by the backlash here merely suggesting that it could be an ad and asking people to be sceptical/cautious is taken as breaking a social taboo.