Is that your main concern about Startpage? As a Startpage person, maybe I can shed some light on this. Last year, Startpage announced an investment in Startpage by System1 through Privacy One Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of System1. With this investment, the plan is to further expand privacy features & reach new users. The Startpage founders have control over the privacy components of Startpage. More info - https://support.startpage.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Artic...
I wish that page was a little clearer as to how startpage still has control, since it turns out system1 now has a majority stake in startpage. However, in reading the letter from your CEO linked at the top, it appears this is by covenant. While in theory that could be renegotiated in the future, it is a relatively strong protection. It would be nice to see the exact language of said covenant and whether there are protections requiring public notification if it is ever changed or rescinded. I know that is probably not going to happen, but it's worth communicating what I think would be a common desire.