But it’s one thing to promise you don’t track user data. The user provides enough clarity in the content of their search request to be shown relevant ads.Īs a result of this anti-data advertising philosophy, DuckDuckGo has become one of the most popular privacy-focused search engines. According to DuckDuckGo’s logic, a search engine doesn’t need to gain additional data from the searcher in order to promote relevant ads. It’s also obvious what sorts of advertisements might perform well given this sort of search request. However, DuckDuckGo was built on the idea that you don’t need to track user data to serve relevant online advertisements.Īs a simple example, when someone types “mechanic in Atlanta” into a search engine, it’s fairly obvious what they’re looking for. Most search engines use data from their users to improve their advertising. Like other search engines and browsers, DuckDuckGo’s primary revenue is generated through online advertising. This message puts them in stark contrast to the other major web browser players like Google, which relies heavily on its users’ data for its online advertising business. The company’s primary marketing message is that DuckDuckGo doesn’t track your identity and activities on the internet.

The history of DuckDuckGoĭuckDuckGo is a search engine and web browser that was created to give internet users greater privacy.

Let’s dive in, starting with some background about DuckDuckGo. But for the sake of educating our readers, we wouldn’t be doing our full job without calling out some of the downsides documented about the platform.

The truth of the matter is, DuckDuckGo is arguably still a better, more private alternative to the major search engines on the web. So, let’s explore the reasons some privacy experts say why DuckDuckGo is bad, and what you can do to help maintain yours if you use the service. But news from earlier this year has made some second-guess the credibility of their private search engine. DuckDuckGo has been a favorite search engine among internet privacy-minded folks for years.

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