Two privacy-focused technology companies are joining forces to challenge the dominance of Big Tech in search and web browsing.

MASQ Network and Timpi have announced a full product merger that combines decentralized connectivity, private browsing, and independent search infrastructure into a single integrated platform.

The unified product will launch under the MASQ brand, bringing together MASQ’s privacy browser and distributed VPN technology with Timpi’s independent search index—an alternative to the centralized search infrastructure dominated by major technology companies.

The companies say the result is a browsing experience designed to function without user tracking, ad profiling, or centralized data collection.

A New Attempt to Break Big Tech’s Search Monopoly

The modern internet largely runs on infrastructure controlled by a handful of technology giants. Most web searches and browsing activity ultimately flow through ecosystems dominated by companies like Google, Microsoft, and Apple, whose services are deeply tied to advertising-driven data collection.

MASQ and Timpi are positioning their merger as an alternative to that model.

Rather than routing user activity through centralized data systems, the combined platform relies on decentralized networking and an independent search index that operates outside traditional Big Tech infrastructure.

The aim is to offer private browsing and search capabilities without relying on surveillance-based advertising systems that track user behavior.

“Consumers don’t adopt infrastructure—they adopt products,” said Aaron Friedlander, founder of MASQ.

“This merger lets us package private browsing, independent search, and secure connectivity into one experience that everyday users can actually use.”

How the Combined Platform Works

The integrated MASQ platform merges three core components:

Private Browser
MASQ’s browser provides privacy-focused web access designed to minimize data collection and tracking.

Decentralized Network and VPN
The platform routes internet traffic through a distributed peer-to-peer network rather than centralized servers, adding an extra layer of privacy and resilience.

Independent Search Index
Timpi contributes the search engine infrastructure, which has been under development for three years and operates independently of the major search providers.

Together, these elements create a browsing environment where users can search and navigate the web without feeding data into the advertising ecosystems that dominate most online services.

Timpi Search Enters Public Beta

Alongside the merger announcement, Timpi Search is now available to the public in open beta.

Users can access the search engine directly through the Timpi website without creating an account, marking the first time the company’s independent search index has been broadly accessible.

Previously, the platform had been limited to community testing.

The beta version can currently be used through:

• The Timpi website
• A standalone browser extension
• The MASQ Browser environment

The release signals Timpi’s shift from experimental infrastructure toward a publicly available search product.

Building Infrastructure Outside Centralized Platforms

The merger also reflects a growing movement toward decentralized internet infrastructure.

Advocates argue that much of today’s digital ecosystem is controlled by centralized platforms that influence search visibility, advertising economics, and data ownership.

By contrast, Timpi’s architecture aims to create a community-driven index that can operate outside those centralized control points.

“The internet today runs through a handful of chokepoints,” said Gareth Evans, co-CEO of Timpi.

“We’re building the infrastructure that sits outside that—inspectable, decentralized, and owned by its community.”

A Different Business Model for Search

One of the biggest challenges facing alternative search platforms is revenue.

Most large search engines generate billions of dollars through targeted advertising fueled by user data collection.

MASQ and Timpi say their approach avoids selling user data while still supporting monetization through other channels.

The combined platform plans to generate revenue through:

• Search advertising that does not rely on user profiling
• Enterprise data and API services
• Consumer subscriptions for MASQ’s privacy services

Whether that model can compete with the massive scale of existing search ecosystems remains to be seen, but privacy-focused alternatives have steadily gained traction as users grow more concerned about online tracking.

What Comes Next

The fully integrated MASQ Browser with native Timpi Search is expected to launch in the coming months.

The companies also plan to expand distribution through MASQ’s partnership network while continuing to develop the underlying decentralized search infrastructure.

If successful, the combined platform could represent a new category of web tools—one that merges search, privacy, and connectivity into a decentralized alternative to the dominant Big Tech ecosystem.

For users increasingly wary of how their data fuels the modern internet, that proposition may be gaining relevance.

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