DuckDuckGo has made a name for itself protecting users from being tracked and keeping them anonymous, so people were understandably upset when they discovered that the browser maker had given Microsoft the go-ahead for tracking. On Friday, the search engine fixed it.
To date, DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg has stated that he will expand the scripts that “we block from loading on websites to include scripts from Microsoft in our browsing apps (iOS and Android) and our browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). and Opera), with beta apps coming next month.”
DuckDuckGo attempts to block tracking scripts from search engines and websites like Facebook, as well as more fundamental script architects and tracking software. (Here are five reasons to use DuckDuckGo instead of the Google search engine.) This browser uses what it calls third-party download tracking protection to block these third-party scripts or cookies from loading in your browser. If they did, they could track your movements on the web and create a profile about who you are, your preferences, and more. While other browsers and plugins allow users to protect their privacy, this search engine has made privacy a fundamental element of its products.
Weinberg’s decision was motivated by a discovery by security researcher Zach Edwards, who reported via Twitter that the DuckDuckGo browser blocks Google and Facebook trackers but allows some Microsoft trackers through Linkedin and Bing. This discovery was subsequently noted by BleepingComputer.
Weinberg said DuckDuckGo was previously limited in how it could apply its third-party tracking protection to Microsoft because Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, was configured as the browser’s search engine. The agreement was made “due to policy requirements related to the use of Bing as the source of our private search results,” Weinberg wrote. “We are glad that this is no longer the case. We have not had and do not have such restrictions with any other company.”
DuckDuckGo still has an advertising relationship with Microsoft that it will maintain. “Viewing ads on DuckDuckGo is anonymous and Microsoft has committed not to profile our users for ad clicks,” Weinberg said. While Microsoft will still record your relationship, he says, it won’t link it to an accounting profile.
If you’re still confused about what DuckDuckGo allows and doesn’t allow, the company has revealed that it has a new help page that details the web tracking protections the company provides.