DuckDuckGo’s joint search deal with Microsoft was the source of a problem that led to data being tracked in the company’s allegedly private mobile web browser.
DuckDuckGo’s mobile browser was discovered this week to transfer data to Microsoft-owned assets when visiting certain websites.
This was confirmed by DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg, who is working to preserve the company’s reputation after sharing potentially damaging findings on Twitter.
Does that mean the privacy-focused DuckDuckGo isn’t as private as we’ve come to believe?
Here’s what was revealed about the DuckDuckGo browser, the CEO’s response, and why critics were unhappy.
DuckDuckGo browser allows Microsoft trackers
In a lengthy Twitter thread, security researcher Jacob Edwards published evidence that DuckDuckGo’s mobile browser was transmitting data to Microsoft’s LinkedIn and Bing Ads.
You can capture data in DuckDuckGo’s so-called private browser on sites like Facebook https://t.co/u8W44qvsqF You’ll see that DDG does not block data flow to Microsoft’s Linkedin domain or its Bing advertising domain.
iOS + Android Proof:
👀🫥😮💨🤡⛈️⚖️💸💸💸 pic.twitter.com/u3Q30KIs7e— ℨ𝔞𝔠𝔥 𝔈𝔡𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔡𝔰 (@thezedwards) May 23, 2022
If this were a web browser from any other company, there would be nothing unusual about transferring the data to a third party.
For DuckDuckGo, a company that has marketed itself No Tracking users, this is turning into a scandal.
Privacy is the company’s entire mission statement. “We don’t track you. Ever,” reads DuckDuckGo’s homepage at the time of writing.
So any amount of tracking goes against DuckDuckGo’s mission statement.
Although this issue appears to be unique to the Micrsoft-owned property, DuckDuckGo still promises that it doesn’t offer a certain level of security.
DuckDuckGo CEO responds to criticism
Weinberg quickly responded to criticism of his company, confirming that the DuckDuckGo browser did not block Microsoft trackers.
However, he tried to downplay the situation as it doesn’t affect DuckDuckGo’s search results.
“It’s not about search,” he wrote in Hacker News forum.
isn’t it?
This wouldn’t have been a problem if it weren’t for the search syndication deal between DuckDuckGo and Microsoft.
While it may be “not relevant to our search results,” as a spokesperson for DuckDuckGo tell PCMag.comwhich is essentially tied to the search contract with Microsoft.
DuckDuckGo’s PR journey didn’t end there. Anyone who criticized the company on Twitter received the same copy-and-paste reply from Weinberg:
“Hi, FYI – this has nothing to do with our search engine, we actually restrict Microsoft scripts in the browser, including blocking their 3rd party cookies. If you want the full context, I’m leaving it on reddit A detailed explanation is given.”
inside Reddit thread He links to, Weinberg clarifies that DuckDuckGo does not promise anonymity when browsing outside of its search engine.
Furthermore, he believes that “nothing can provide 100% protection” and that DuckDuckGo offers “the best thing for mainstream users.”
anyhow
What’s the main takeaway from all this?
In short – promise not to track your company once is actually following you sometimes.
We understand that there is no guarantee of complete anonymity when browsing with DuckDuckGo outside of its search engine.
DuckDuckGo is contractually obligated to allow Microsoft trackers in its web browser.
The company continues its commitment to protecting data trackers during search queries on DuckDuckGo.com.
Whether this will have a lasting impact on DuckDuckGo’s reputation remains to be seen.
To DuckDuckGo’s credit, few CEOs have been so quick to address issues and openly address people’s concerns. Weinberg has been transparent about the search deal between DuckDuckGo and Microsoft.
Featured Image: Ascannio/Shutterstock
