In transient: DuckDuckGo portrays itself as a defender of consumer privateness by way of its search engine and browser. However, a safety researcher has discovered the corporate has an settlement with Microsoft that attaches asterisks to that promise. DuckDuckGo has since defended its relationship with Microsoft, which it’s making an attempt to amend.
The DuckDuckGo browser is meant to dam trackers from advertisers that promote and commerce consumer knowledge. However, earlier this week, safety researcher Zack Edwards discovered that it permits Microsoft to trace knowledge by way of LinkedIn and Bing advert domains.
DuckDuckGo’s web site has a web page admitting that it has an settlement permitting Microsoft to offer advertisements subsequent to look outcomes. It says Microsoft does not retailer ad-click conduct knowledge or use it to profile customers however does not point out the trackers sending knowledge by way of LinkedIn and Bing.
For non-search tracker blocking (eg in our browser), we block most third-party trackers. Unfortunately our Microsoft search syndication settlement prevents us from doing extra to Microsoft-owned properties. However, we’ve been regularly pushing and anticipate to be doing extra quickly.
— Gabriel Weinberg (@yegg) May 23, 2022
In response to the accusations, DuckDuckGo founder and CEO Gabriel Weinberg admitted its settlement with Microsoft forces it to permit that firm’s trackers. Weinberg predictably asserts that his firm continues to be extra non-public than different browsers as a result of it blocks most non-Microsoft third-party trackers. DuckDuckGo is negotiating with Microsoft to take away that clause and can change the cell browser’s app retailer web page descriptions to tell customers higher.
This concern relates solely to DuckDuckGo’s browser. The Search engine, quite the opposite, does not give Microsoft particular remedy. It simply goes to indicate that it is in all probability unimaginable to stay utterly nameless on-line, although some safety could be higher than none.
