> If I want to find controversial material - for whatever reason, let's say even debunking it - there's a chance google hides it.
I find myself searching for information sometimes and then realize "oh, Google might see this as political in some way." That's my primary reason to use DuckDuckGo.
It is more that any search engine that uses your history to skew future results can send you down a rabbit hole for anything related to some conspiracy theory. It wants to send you results that you like, which means it will promote confirmation bias. People using Google to "do your own research" will find all the things that agree with their preconceptions.
This isn't because the algorithm has a political slant, it is a consequence of how it works. Sometimes this thing helps the user: if my search includes the word "unionized", did my previous searches indicate an interest in chemistry or labor activism?
I find myself searching for information sometimes and then realize "oh, Google might see this as political in some way." That's my primary reason to use DuckDuckGo.