DuckDuckGo Hidden Agreement with Microsoft for Tracking Revealed

Urian B., Tech Times 26 May 2022, 03:05 am

DuckDuckGo is a web browser that has been known for protecting its users from tracking. Security researchers, however, found out that DuckDuckGo might have had a hidden agreement with Microsoft to allow them to track users of the web browser.

Security Researchers Found a Hidden Agreement Between DuckDuckGo and Microsoft

According to the story by Tech Radar, the public's opinion regarding DuckDuckGo could change very quickly as security researchers found a "hidden tracking agreement with Microsoft." The web browser, which is known to be privacy-focused, claimed that searches on its platform won't be tracked.

DuckDuckGo claimed that aside from searches, users' behavior won't be tracked and that there are no user profiles being built in order to be used for personal advertisements. The article by Tech Radar notes that this is a cause for concern since it "promises to block hidden third-party trackers."

DuckDuckGo CEO Says They Never Promised Full Autonomy

Despite its promises, it was found that Microsoft trackers were still allowed to operate while its competitors, Facebook and Google, had their trackers blocked. The issue was first discovered by Zach Edwards who also found out that linkedin.com and bing.com trackers were also able to bypass the blocks.

In a statement sent to Bleeping Computer, Gabriel Weinberg, the founder, and CEO of DuckDuckGo, said that they never promised full autonomy. The founder also claimed that the web browser still offers "above-and-beyond protection" for its users compared to what other browsers offer.

Founder and CEO Clarifies the Extent of Their Restrictions

The news was quick to spread with a number of users being dissatisfied with the recent findings. Weinberg also clarified that the restrictions are only for the browser and "are not related to the search engine."

When addressing the issue, Weinberg noted that the company has always been careful when it came to making sure that they do not promise anonymity when users browse. The CEO noted that this is because it just isn't possible.

Security Researcher Found the Tracking on the iOS and Android Version of DuckDuckGo

The reason for this, as explained, is because trackers are still able to "evade protections and the tools we currently offer." Weinberg says that they still implement third-party cookie protection as well as fingerprint protection on third-party tracking scripts which include Microsoft.

Weinberg also stated that due to their protections in play, they are still better compared to other browsers when it comes to offering more privacy protection, as also noted in an article by 9to5Mac.

When Zach Edwards tested the tracking on DuckDuckGo, he was able to find that both the iOS and Android version of the web browser did not block data transfers to both Microsoft's Linkedin and Bing ads.

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Written by Urian B.