A deep dive into DuckDuckGo’s security and privacy: Is it safe to use?

The DuckDuckGo search engine is considered a safer option for online browsing compared to other mainstream search engines. DuckDuckGo doesn’t collect your data or profile you according to your search patterns. It also doesn’t use tracking cookies or sell user information to third parties and claims to use only minimal necessary amounts of user data to conduct its operations.

Though the DuckDuckGo search engine can provide you with more online privacy than other popular search engines, it has its limitations. Like most search engines, DuckDuckGo tries to filter out potentially dangerous sites from its search results, but it cannot guarantee complete protection against malware-ridden websites or content. This means you can still land on a webpage infected with malware or containing intrusive trackers while using DuckDuckGo.

If you’re looking for more comprehensive protection online, you should consider using DuckDuckGo’s custom web browser. Contrary to the search engine that focuses on keeping your searches private, the private browser can protect you against tracking that comes from websites, ads, and online trackers. However, this article is dedicated to the DuckDuckGo search engine, so bear with us to learn how it provides security online in more detail.

DuckDuckGo search engine follows stringent security policies to keep user data as private as possible. These policies include not sharing your browsing history and personal information with third parties, abstaining from using tracking cookies, and being generally transparent about how your data is being used. Take a closer look at the reasons why the DuckDuckGo search engine is considered safe to use.

It doesn’t save or share your browsing history

DuckDuckGo ensures that information related to your search queries remains private and doesn’t fall into the hands of online content providers. For this purpose, the search engine sends you search requests from the DuckDuckGo servers to the web pages on your behalf. This means that none of the websites that correspond to your online queries know you were the one who was interested in a particular subject. Once DuckDuckGo receives the content you requested, it delivers it using an end-to-end encrypted connection.

The platform claims to save anonymized search queries to analyze popular searches and trends and serve more relevant content to its users. DuckDuckGo thought further about how it could provide an additional layer of privacy and created a solution to spoof the user’s precise location so it can only see the approximate location of all searches. Moreover, these approximate locations are logged nowhere on its servers. Because DuckDuckGo doesn’t track your browsing history or associate your searches with your IP address, users avoid being bombarded with personalized ads and can enjoy unbiased search results.

It doesn’t sell your personal information

To quote DuckDuckGo’s policy regarding selling user data, “We have never sold any personal information. Period.”

It’s transparent on how it uses information

Whenever you use the DuckDuckGo search engine, your device automatically sends information about itself to facilitate a smooth connection. This information typically includes your IP address, browser type, and language and sometimes also the device’s screen size, operating system, and preferences. However, DuckDuckGo uses this information only temporarily to confirm you’re not a bot and deliver you the content you want to access. The search engine is strict about not sharing your IP address or other unique identifiers related to you or your device with the websites you visit.

On the other hand, you might be asked to share additional personal information whenever you intend to use DuckDuckGo’s optional features, such as Email Protection. The search engine claims to require only information necessary for the feature to function and uses it for this sole purpose. In addition, the platform always informs users about the specific data they need to provide in order to use a special feature, explaining how this information will be handled and how the user can opt out.

It doesn’t track you through cookies

DuckDuckGo allows you to configure your search settings so that the search engine only uses anonymous cookies for storage. It also enables you to change all the search settings through anonymous URL parameters. The platform may sometimes need to use your browser’s storage to conduct anonymous setting changes or the device’s local storage to save anonymous display settings. However, DuckDuckGo claims it never stores any information that could help identify you and your searches. The search engine uses only the necessary storage to allow particular features to perform properly.

It protects and limits the use of your data

DuckDuckGo claims to strictly limit the use of your personal data you provide to the platform by keeping it only for as long as it’s necessary to run a particular feature or fulfill your request. When the information is no longer required, and the law doesn’t bind to hold it for a more extended period of time, it’s deleted. Moreover, DuckDuckGo can’t provide your search or browsing histories following third-party requests because the search engine simply doesn’t log them.

Apple considered switching from Google

Apple is known for being a privacy-focused company largely because it pays a lot of attention to its products’ security and offers various encryption and sensitive data storage solutions. To level up its security, Apple once considered using the DuckDuckGo search engine instead of Google as the default search engine for private browsing mode. Apple and DuckDuckGo held around 20 meetings discussing this cooperation over the course of three years (2016-2019). However, due to DuckDuckGo’s ties with Apple’s competitor Microsoft, the companies didn’t reach an agreement.

Though the DuckDuckGo search engine is safer than other mainstream search engines, it has its limitations. While it spoofs search queries from third parties, your internet service provider (ISP) can still see that you’re using the search engine. It also can’t protect you if you ever land on a malicious website. Read on to learn more about the shortcomings of the DuckDuckGo search engine.

Your ISP still sees your IP address

Though DuckDuckGo takes precautions not to reveal your IP address to third parties online, it cannot disguise it from your ISP. All information going back and forth between your device and the internet needs to be routed through your device’s IP address, which means the search engine can’t prevent internet providers from seeing you’re using it. However, DuckDuckGo ensures that your ISP can only see that you’re connecting to the search engine itself, not your search queries.

You’re not protected on other websites

The DuckDuckGo search engine helps you securely navigate the internet to find the content you’re interested in. However, its protection ends once you access a particular website. From that moment on, privacy policies set by a web page owner begin to apply. It means DuckDuckGo cannot protect you from trackers and intrusive ads when you access other websites and apps through it.

You’re still prone to malware risks

As with any other online tool, the DuckDuckGo search engine is susceptible to viruses, malware, and other online threats that may hide behind legitimate-looking websites or links. Though DucDuckGo attempts to filter malicious search results, no search engine can guarantee complete protection against harmful websites.

A blemish on DuckDuckGo’s reputation: Microsoft trackers

In 2022, reports emerged that DuckDuckGo wasn’t blocking trackers from certain Microsoft-owned platforms, including Bing and LinkedIn, due to its newly established partnership with the company. However, in August of the same year, DuckDuckGo claimed to have eliminated the gap in the company’s partnership agreement and assured that the platform doesn’t allow Microsoft to use tracking scripts. Since then, a number of independent experts have confirmed this to be true.

DuckDuckGo also has a separate advertising partnership with Microsoft, which enables Microsoft to place its ads within the search engine. However, this partnership is limited to ad placement and doesn’t enable Microsoft to build user profiles based on ad clicks.

It’s generally agreed that DuckDuckGo is a safer and more private search engine than Google. DuckDuckGo offers a more transparent search experience since it doesn’t track or log your search queries and doesn’t profile you depending on them. That means you get unbiased search results whenever you use DuckDuckGo to search for something online. In fact, since the DuckDuckGo search engine doesn’t track its users, nobody knows how many people actually use it.

It’s an entirely different story with Google. It profiles users and provides search results tailored to reflect their search history. Though convenient at times, it may also lead to dozens of irrelevant ads following you after every search query. That’s why you should consider using the DuckDuckGo search engine or other alternatives to Google if you aim for more privacy online.

If you want to be proactive while securing your connections, you should consider using the search engine in combination with a virtual private network (VPN).

Whenever you use a VPN, it reroutes your online traffic through a VPN server, encrypts your data, and hides your IP address from both third parties and your ISP. This means no one can snoop around your online activities, even various service providers.

For a safer online presence, you should also consider using an anti-malware protection tool, such as Threat Protection. It blocks malicious websites, web trackers, and annoying ads before they get a chance to load on your device. So even if your search on DuckDuckGo leads you to a malicious website, you’ll be notified and protected from possible damage.

The DuckDuckGo search engine is a secure alternative to mainstream search engines, providing more privacy and allowing you to browse the internet safely. It doesn’t track your search history or create your user profile according to your online activity. The platform is transparent about how it uses and collects your data and ensures it won’t get into the hands of third parties.

However, DuckDuckGo provides security only when you’re using the search engine. Once you decide to visit a particular website, you are subject to a new set of policies that may be less focused on your privacy. Moreover, DuckDuckGo can’t prevent you from landing on malicious websites or downloading malware.

Despite its limitations, DuckDuckGo is a secure search engine for those who want to enjoy more privacy online. Visit our blog if you’re interested to learn more about some of the best private search engines.

FAQ

How does DuckDuckGo make money?

DuckDuckGo still has to monetize its operations, and for that, it uses ads based on the keywords you type in. If you search for “cat food,” the ads on DuckDuckGo’s search page may reflect that. However, the service won’t remember that you looked up cat food once you navigate to a new page.

It also uses affiliate codes and earns commissions when a user buys a product after searching through DuckDuckGo or its advertising content.

Does DuckDuckGo track you?

DuckDuckGo doesn’t track your activity in any way. The platform doesn’t save or share your search history with anyone and only uses anonymous cookies for storage.

Is DuckDuckGo really private?

DuckDuckGo provides an additional layer of privacy by not tracking your online activity or letting third parties do that, either. However, the search engine cannot prohibit the websites you visit from tracking you once you land on them. DuckDuckGo only provides you with more privacy when you are using it.