DuckDuckGo Private Browser explained

DuckDuckGo Private Browser
Ver Layout:	stacked
Operating System:	Android, iOS, macOS, Windows
Engines:	Blink (Android, Windows) WebKit (iOS, macOS)
License:	Freeware (the underlying WebView components provided by the operating systems) though DuckDuckGo's custom code for Android and iOS is shared with an Apache-2.0 license^[1] ^[2]
Website:	https://duckduckgo.com/app

DuckDuckGo Private Browser is a web browser created by DuckDuckGo.^[3] It is a privacy-oriented browser available for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.^[4]

The core browser functionality is the WebView component provided by the operating system. This means the browser engine is Blink on Android and Windows, but WebKit on iOS and macOS.

Features

• Automatically blocks web trackers, and upgrades insecure HTTP connections to HTTPS when possible.^{[5] [6]}
• Has a special "Duck Player" that allows users to watch YouTube videos without being target of advertisements and tracking cookies.^[7]
• Has an automatic cookie consent tool and supports the Global Privacy Control option.^[8]
• The Android version has a feature called App Tracking Protection, which when enabled blocks trackers in other Android applications.^{[9] [10]}

History

DuckDuckGo Private Browser was first released for Android and iOS in 2018.^[11] Desktop support began in 2022, with the beta version for macOS.^{[12] [13]} The beta version for Windows was released in 2023.^{[14] [15]}

Controversies

In May 2022, an independent researcher discovered that tracking scripts by Microsoft products like Bing and LinkedIn are not blocked by the browser.^[16] DuckDuckGo's founder and CEO explained it by noting that the company was "currently contractually restricted by Microsoft" due to their use of Bing as a provider of results in DuckDuckGo search. This meant the browser could not block Microsoft scripts.^[17] In August 2022, however, the company announced that they would block Microsoft trackers in its browsers.^[18]

External links

• Official homepage

Notes and References

1. Web site: DuckDuckGo Android App Github repository . github.com . 19 August 2024 .
2. Web site: DuckDuckGo iOS App Github repository . github.com . 19 August 2024 .
3. Web site: Does DuckDuckGo make a browser? . duckduckgo.com . 9 March 2024.
4. Web site: Download the DuckDuckGo browser app . duckduckgo.com . 9 March 2024.
5. Web site: Your Connection is Secure with DuckDuckGo Smarter Encryption . Spread Privacy: The Official DuckDuckGo Blog . November 19, 2019 . 21 August 2023.
6. Web site: HTTPS Everywhere Now Uses DuckDuckGo's Smarter Encryption . EFF: Electronic Frontier Foundation . 21 August 2023.
7. Web site: Weatherbed . Jess . 2022-10-18 . DuckDuckGo for Mac is now an open beta . 2023-08-26 . The Verge . en-US.
8. Web site: Stop Trackers Dead: The Best Private Browsers for 2023 . 2023-08-23 . PCMAG . en.
9. Web site: Weatherbed . Jess . 2022-11-16 . DuckDuckGo has opened up its App Tracking Protection beta . 2023-01-13 . The Verge . en-US.
10. Web site: 2021-11-18 . Introducing DuckDuckGo App Tracking Protection for Android . 2023-01-13 . Spread Privacy . en.
11. Web site: 2018 in Review . DuckDuckGo . 9 March 2024.
12. Matt Burgess . DuckDuckGo's Privacy Browser Finally Lands on Desktop . Wired . Condé Nast . 13 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220412120310/https://www.wired.com/story/duckduckgo-browser-mac-app/ . 12 April 2022 . 12 April 2022.
13. Web site: Emma Roth . DuckDuckGo's privacy-centric browser arrives on Mac . The Verge . 13 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220412152920/https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/12/23021682/duckduckgo-for-mac-desktop-browser-privacy . 12 April 2022 . 12 April 2022.
14. Web site: Purdy . Kevin . 2023-06-22 . DuckDuckGo browser beta for Windows bakes in a lot of privacy tools . 2023-06-22 . . en-us.
15. Web site: Pierce . David . 2023-06-22 . DuckDuckGo's privacy-focused browser is available for Windows now . 2023-06-22 . . en-US.
16. Web site: Spadafora . Anthony . 2022-05-26 . DuckDuckGo browser is not as private as you think — here's why . 2023-08-26 . Tom's Guide . en.
17. Web site: Claburn . Thomas . DuckDuckGo: Why our browsers won't block Microsoft trackers . 2023-09-24 . The Register . 25 May 2022 . en.
18. Web site: Adam . Benjamin . DuckDuckGo: What to Know About Google Search's Privacy-Focused Rival . 2023-08-23 . CNET . August 24, 2023 . en.