The privacy focusedDuckDuckGo browseris reputedly the place to go if you ’re seeking to quash intrusive web tracker from the likes of Google and Facebook .
However , a new report casts doubt on the privateness - centric practices , revealing an correspondence with Microsoft to activate the software giant to guide some trackers via the browser app .
The Book of Revelation total from the security researcher Zach Edwards ( viaBleeping Computerand9to5Mac ) who discovered that when using the iOS and Android web web browser “ neither versionblocked data transfers to Microsoft ’s LinkedIn + Bing ad while view Facebook ’s workplace[.]com homepage . ”
Posting the proof for all to see , Edwards added : “ you could capture datum within the DuckDuckGo so - called private web browser on a website like Facebook ’s http://workplace.com and you ’ll see that DDG does NOT blockade datum menses to Microsoft ’s LinkedIn domains or their Bing advertising domains . ”
It ’s not a big look for a company that preaches so earnestly about the world ’s right for their bodily process not to be tracked across the web . However , DuckDuckGo has attempt to provide the linguistic context for the system : It in reality work with Microsoft to help make ad clicks protect and the limited tracking is a side - effect it ’s attempting to remediate .
The DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinbergrespondedby say it is working with Microsoft make certain third - political party trackers are blocked on Microsoft - possess company such as those name by Edwards .
He write : “ When you stretch our hunting resultant role , you are completely anon. , include ads . For ads , we worked with Microsoft to make ad clicks protected . From our public ads page , ‘ Microsoft Advertising does not associate your ad - get across behaviour with a user profile ’ . For non - search tracker blocking ( eg in our web browser app ) , we block most third - company trackers . ”Unfortunately our Microsoft search syndication agreement keep us from doing more to Microsoft - owned properties . However , we have been continually pushing and require to be doing more soon . We ’ve been working tirelessly behind the aspect to change these requirements , though our syndication concord also has a confidentially provision that prevents disclosing item . ”
In a statement , the company add up that it can not foretell full namelessness for web web browser users , but it goes much further than the likes of Safari , Firefox and others by hinder them before the launch on third political party websites .
It contribute : “ What we ’re talking about here is an above - and - beyond security that most browsers do n’t even attempt to do — that is , obstruct third - political party tracking scripts before they dilute on tertiary company web site . Because we ’re doing this where we can , users are still pay off significantly more concealment protection with DuckDuckGo than they would using Safari , Firefox and other browsers . ”
So , while this does sound like a spot of a storm in a teacupful , it ’s always a lesson to web exploiter : Never take full protection . While companies like DuckDuckGo offer safeguarding from aggressive and intrusive trackers , there ’s commonly a caveat .
