Security News
DuckDuckGo has launched a new paid-for 3-in-1 subscription service called 'Privacy Pro,' which includes a virtual private network, a personal data removal service, and an identity theft restoration solution. The introduction of Privacy Pro marks the first case of a premium product from DuckDuckGo, allowing it to enter a highly competitive space with the impetus of an established entity that has won the trust of millions from its existing product portfolio.
The DuckDuckGo browser has unveiled a new end-to-end encrypted Sync & Backup feature that lets users privately and securely synchronize their bookmarks, passwords, and Email Protection settings across multiple devices. The new feature is available on the latest version of the DuckDuckGo browser for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, so syncing can only work between devices running these operating systems.
DuckDuckGo has released its privacy-centric browser for Windows to the general public. "Starting today, our desktop browser for Windows is officially in public beta - no invite codes, no waiting list, just a fast, lightweight browser that makes the Internet less creepy and less cluttered," reads the announcement.
Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo has launched the first beta version of DuckAssist, an AI-assisted feature that writes accurate summaries to answer users' search queries. DuckAssist uses OpenAI's natural language technology to generate answers to user's search queries at the top of the search results page, making responses more direct than traditional search results.
DuckDuckGo apps and extensions are now blocking Google Sign-in pop-ups on all its apps and browser extensions, removing what it perceives as an annoyance and a privacy risk for its users. A standalone web browser is also in the works, currently in beta and only available for macOS. The company announced today that all its Chrome, Firefox, Brave, and Microsoft Edge apps and browser extensions will now actively block Google sign-in prompts displayed on sites.
DuckDuckGo for Android's 'App Tracking Protection' feature has reached open beta, allowing all Android users to block third-party trackers across all their installed apps. The 'App Tracking Protection' aims to increase privacy throughout the entire operating system by blocking third-party tracking scripts in other Android apps installed on the device.
Mac users can now try the privacy features in the DuckDuckGo browser as the app has entered the beta stage of development. As expected, the default search engine is the privacy-centric DuckDuckGo that generates objective results without any bias or "User preference" factors.
At the same time, DuckDuckGo introduces new features that enhance the email service's anti-tracking system, a direct reply function, and smart encryption for embedded links. Email Protection is DuckDuckGo's dedicated email forwarding solution that strips emails from advertising and profiling trackers before they land in the user's regular inbox.
In May, DDG admitted its supposedly pro-privacy mobile browser wasn't blocking certain Microsoft trackers, while actively blocking other types of third-party trackers by Microsoft and other organizations, confirming findings by data-usage researcher Zach Edwards. Back in January, Twitter fixed a privacy flaw that made it easy to unmask users.
DuckDuckGo announced today that they will now be blocking all third-party Microsoft tracking scripts in their privacy browser after failing to block them in the past. This change comes after the company faced massive blowback in May for not blocking some third-party Microsoft trackers in the DuckDuckGo browser due to a syndicated search content agreement between the two companies.