A decade later, in 2018, DuckDuckGo expanded its offerings with a mobile app and browser extensions.\u00a0 Standalone browsers for Mac and Windows computers followed in 2023.\u00a0 Although its search volume is dwarfed by Google\u2019s, DuckDuckGo has held roughly 2 to 2.5 percent market share<\/a> in the US during the 2020s, which adds up to billions of searches per month.\u00a0 Its mobile search market share was 1.8 percent<\/a> as of April 2023.\u00a0 That\u2019s slightly lower, but puts it second only to Google in mobile search.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n DuckDuckGo proudly boasts that it doesn\u2019t track or retain user data, including your search history. That does mean you\u2019ll give up a degree of personalization, but you\u2019ll recapture a large measure of privacy in exchange. For most of its millions of users, that\u2019s a worthwhile tradeoff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a cynical aphorism that \u201cno good deed goes unpunished,\u201d and despite its ideals and pro-privacy stance, DuckDuckGo has come in for its share of criticism. Some of those criticisms focus on its management of user privacy, and others zero in on its claim to provide non-curated search results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n DuckDuckGo is careful not to describe its search results as \u201cunfiltered,” because filtering results is exactly what you want<\/em> a search engine to do. But its search results aren\u2019t tweaked and personalized, the way Google\u2019s are, to show you only what it thinks you\u2019ll want to see. For that reason, users who earnestly believe that Google (and Big Tech in general) censors or suppresses their political views embraced DuckDuckGo as an alternative, even dubbing it the \u201cfree speech\u201d search engine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That honeymoon met reality after Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine, when DuckDuckGo severed its working relationship with Russian search engine Yandex and began down-ranking sites that peddled Russian disinformation<\/a>.\u00a0 Founder Gabe Weinberg took to social media himself to defend the company\u2019s actions, arguing that returning accurate, high-quality results is a search engine\u2019s job<\/a>, and that misinformation is \u2014 by definition \u2014 a low-quality result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A more fundamental criticism hit DuckDuckGo in 2022, when researchers discovered that despite its anti-tracking stance, it was giving a pass to some Microsoft trackers<\/a>.\u00a0 The company pointed out that:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nevertheless, the reporting was accurate as far as it went. Microsoft still would not have been able to track or profile an individual user as a result, but would at least still know when an ad was clicked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The whole controversy went to the heart of DuckDuckGo\u2019s stated mission, and its main selling point as an alternative to Google: user privacy. At this point, it\u2019s appropriate to take a closer look at how exactly DuckDuckGo manages its users\u2019 privacy and data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To properly understand what DuckDuckGo doesn\u2019t<\/em> do, you first have to understand what its competitors do.\u00a0 Google is the king of the hill, and it records everything about your search: the search terms you used, the results you clicked on, your location at the time, details about your devices, and much, much, much<\/em> more<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The thing is, you probably use a lot more than just Google\u2019s search.\u00a0 Most of us use some combination of its other products and services, from YouTube and Gmail to Maps and Chrome, or the Android and Chrome OS operating systems.\u00a0 Google collects high levels of data from those sources and integrates them all under your Google Account.\u00a0 The company is pretty up-front about what information it collects<\/a>, though it\u2019s always positioned as (and in fairness, generally is) a way to provide you with better services and more personalization.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Google also emphasizes that it won\u2019t sell your private information, though privacy-centric critics like the Electronic Frontier Foundation<\/a> are quick to point out that it can monetize your private data in many ways without explicitly \u201cselling\u201d it.\u00a0 Moreover, while the company anonymizes the data it shares with its various commercial partners, de-anonymizing data \u2014 uncovering the actual individuals associated with it \u2014\u00a0is startlingly easy to do<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other leading players in search (Microsoft and Yahoo) make similar links between your searches and their other services, though they aren\u2019t able to gather quite the depth and breadth of data that Google does. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that you understand the context, let\u2019s look at how DuckDuckGo handles privacy.\u00a0 There are a few key details, and they\u2019re all laid out in the company\u2019s Privacy Policy<\/a>.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve looked at other tech companies\u2019 Privacy Policies, this one will look strange: it\u2019s a couple of dozen paragraphs of plain, ordinary language, much like the articles here on our blog, complete with informative titles for each section.\u00a0 It\u2019s a sharp contrast to the usual dense pages of inscrutable legalese you\u2019ll see elsewhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The short version is that DuckDuckGo uses only the data necessary to actually process your request, and only until you close the tab (or the app, on your phone). Your search history isn\u2019t stored, your location and device data aren\u2019t stored, and it doesn’t monitor anything you do on any other site or app. Even if you reach out to DuckDuckGo directly for something like a technical support issue, which necessarily means giving them specific personal data, they won\u2019t keep it once your issue is resolved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Every DuckDuckGo query is encrypted, so even if your devices or your network are compromised, you\u2019ll still have a measure of protection against eavesdropping by hackers or identity thieves. Finally, any data that DuckDuckGo needs to share with its partner companies and service providers is stripped of identifying information. And yes, that now includes Microsoft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although DuckDuckGo\u2019s focus on privacy is its key selling point, like any other search engine, it has to actually, you know\u2026 search. So how does DuckDuckGo stack up against Google and Bing? Let\u2019s take a look at how they compare. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Go ahead and type a search \u2014 any search \u2014 into Google, then Bing, and then DuckDuckGo. If you flip back and forth between the three, you\u2019ll see a lot of similarities. Google usually shows \u201cFeatured Snippets\u201d at the top of search results to provide quick answers to your queries, and DuckDuckGo\u2019s \u201cQuick Answers\u201d fill the same role. There\u2019s a \u201cknowledge panel\u201d to the right of the screen with all three search engines, providing a more in-depth (but still at-a-glance) answer. All three provide maps, news results, reviews, images, videos, and suggestions for related searches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The differences largely show up in the details. Google gets its reviews and maps, of course, from Google Reviews and Google Maps. DuckDuckGo uses Yelp reviews and Apple Maps, while Bing uses TripAdvisor and OpenStreetMap. Google (surprise!) is much more likely to surface Google-owned YouTube videos for you to look at. Google also has features like \u201cPeople Also Ask\u201d and the ability to set a custom date range for your search results, which the other two don\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What about the quality of results? Well, there are good reasons for Google\u2019s dominance in search. Precisely because<\/em> it gathers up so much data from all of your activities, it\u2019s usually able to serve a set of search results that are finely tuned to what you want. Remember, big datasets can be mined for deeper, broader patterns (like your comics-nerd friend, who can explain every hidden \u201cEaster egg\u201d reference in every Marvel movie), and nobody has deeper datasets than Google. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re trying to dig up a half-remembered song, or \u201cthat movie with that one guy in it,\u201d Google is your best bet. Bing is no slouch in the personalization department either, because Microsoft – through the Windows OS, Edge browser, and its Office products \u2014 also hoovers up a lot of private data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is both an advantage and a disadvantage for DuckDuckGo. Because its searches don\u2019t draw on your search history and entire online life, its results may be less pertinent. On the other hand, it may surface search results that the other two won\u2019t, for exactly the same reason. This can be a factor if you use the same device for work and personal purposes, or if you share a computer with others: inferences drawn from other uses, or other users, can impact what you\u2019re searching for right now<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That exact conflict between convenience and privacy is DuckDuckGo\u2019s selling point. If you want the absolutely best possible search results, they come from personalization, and that \u2014 in turn \u2014 relies on data gathering. Maximizing privacy relies on minimizing<\/em> data gathering. It\u2019s a conundrum, and you have to decide where you sit on that spectrum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s look at a specific example.\u00a0 Google and Bing provide you with localized search options (restaurants, weather, etc) by detecting your location, unless you\u2019ve turned off location tracking<\/a>.\u00a0 If you have, they\u2019ll prompt you to turn it back on.\u00a0 DuckDuckGo\u2019s privacy-centric workaround for local search<\/a> is to guess where you are based on the Internet Protocol (IP) address reported to your device, and then send that approximate location to its search partners.\u00a0 Optionally, you can choose to let DuckDuckGo detect your location on a one-off basis or manually set a location.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, this question revolves around your definition of \u201cmanipulation.\u201d Some would argue that DuckDuckGo\u2019s down-ranking of misinformation sites counts as manipulation, while DuckDuckGo itself argues that it is simply countering the misinformation sites\u2019 own manipulation of search engine algorithms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You may remember that Gabe Weinberg\u2019s original motivation was getting rid of \u201cspammy\u201d search results.\u00a0 This is an ongoing headache for Google in particular because of its market dominance.\u00a0 The workings of Google\u2019s search algorithm are the key to its success, and a closely-guarded trade secret; but there\u2019s an entire industry called Search Engine Optimization (SEO) dedicated to figuring out how it works, and how to rank well in Google searches.\u00a0 A 2024 German study<\/a> found that product review searches (\u201cThe Best [X] in 2023\u201d) were especially vulnerable to this kind of spamming.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The study showed that Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo were all affected, though most SEO efforts are targeted at Google. Legendary 19th-century bandit Frank James supposedly said that he robbed banks \u201cbecause that\u2019s where the money is,\u201d and the same logic applies to Google because of its search dominance. To Google\u2019s credit it fights back brilliantly, and with some success; but you might find DuckDuckGo a better source for product reviews precisely because it\u2019s less of a target. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re ready to test drive DuckDuckGo as your preferred search option, you can do that by: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Click the appropriate link here for instructions to do that in Chrome,<\/a> Firefox<\/a>, Safari<\/a>, and Edge<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n For maximum privacy protection, you can add DuckDuckGo\u2019s browser extension to your preferred browser.\u00a0 Installing the extension in your browser takes just a few clicks, and you can find instructions for the major browsers on DuckDuckGo\u2019s browser extension help page<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The extension provides a variety of services, including tracker blocking, automatically directing you to the encrypted version of a page where one exists, and grading the sites you visit on their degree of respect for your privacy.\u00a0 All of this helps limit the ways that Chrome, Edge, and other sites can harvest your data.\u00a0 Alternatively, you can use the standalone DuckDuckGo browser for iOS<\/a>, Android<\/a>, Windows<\/a>, or Mac<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The company also has a new feature called Email Protection<\/a>, which you can enable in the DuckDuckGo app, browser, or browser extensions to strip trackers and other undesirable elements out of your incoming emails.\u00a0 It\u2019s still in the testing stage at the time of this writing, but it\u2019s open to the public if you want to try it out.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The short answer is \u201cYes,\u201d DuckDuckGo is as safe to use as any other app or search engine, and more so than most. There\u2019s never been any hint of the app or site being compromised, and \u2013 even if it was \u2013 because the company doesn\u2019t store or track your data, there\u2019s little hackers could gain by breaching the company itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, its search product has limitations.\u00a0 As we\u2019ve said, its results will fall short of Google\u2019s or Bing\u2019s as a direct result of its privacy stance.\u00a0 Also, like Google and Bing, there are some kinds of data it simply can\u2019t access: if you want to find out who\u2019s behind a given email address<\/a> or phone number<\/a>, for example, you\u2019d still need to use specialized search tools like Spokeo\u2019s<\/a> people search engine.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Switching to DuckDuckGo isn\u2019t a magical silver bullet for online privacy, but it can definitely help. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Is DuckDuckGo safe? Here\u2019s what to know if you\u2019re thinking about ditching Google and Bing for this privacy-centric alternative search engine. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":29148,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[612,614],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","category-safety"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy DuckDuckGo is Bad, According to Some Users<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Accusations of Politically Motivated Censorship<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Questions about DuckDuckGo\u2019s Commitment to Privacy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow Low is the Bar for Privacy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How Does DuckDuckGo Address Privacy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Using DuckDuckGo vs. Other Search Engines <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Quick Comparison: Google vs. Bing vs. DuckDuckGo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Search Quality in Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"is](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/image\/pexels-asphotography-96612.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPrivacy in Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What About Manipulation of Search Results? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Improving Online Privacy With DuckDuckGo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Is DuckDuckGo Safe?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n