DuckDuckGo allows Microsoft advertising to track users of what it touts to be a "privacy-focused" web browser on purpose as part of its agreement with the tech giant.
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 13: A signage of Microsoft is seen on March 13, 2020 in New York City.
DuckDuckGo
The DuckDuckGo browser, which promises its users to block tracking, is one of the recent projects the privacy-focused search engine, as per a news story by Bleeping Computer.
The privacy web browser, which attempts to be an alternative to other giant names like Google Chrome and Apple's Safari, offers both an iOS and Android app to smartphone users.
It boasts privacy features to entice users to make the big switch from their default web browser. It includes functions like third-party cookie and tracker blocking, as well as HTTPS encryption.
There are other handy options as well, such as its fire button, which allows users to clean their browsing data with a click. It also lets them enjoy beta features like its Email Protection and App Protection to prevent further tracking.
DuckDuckGo Allows Microsoft Tracking
However, according to a recent report by Tech Crunch, the privacy-centric browser turned out to have some limitations in its tracker blocking that its users have no idea about.
A guest takes a selfie with her smartphone during the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Madrid on April 8, 2021.
Thanks to a researcher who exerted the effort to check beneath the privacy browser, the hidden limits of DuckDuckGo are now out in the open.
The researcher, Zach Edwards, shared that the privacy browser blocks trackers from Facebook and Google, but it turns a blind eye to Microsoft counterparts.
Edwards tweeted that iOS and Android apps allow Microsoft trackers when visiting sites like Bing and LinkedIn, which the renowned tech giant owns.
He then tried to visit the Workplace website of Facebook, wherein he saw the mobile browser block other trackers other than Bing and LinkedIn advertising domains.
You can capture data within the DuckDuckGo so-called private browser on a website like Facebook's https://t.co/u8W44qvsqF and you'll see that DDG does NOT stop data flows to Microsoft's Linkedin domains or their Bing advertising domains.
— Zach Edwards 🔗infosec.exchange/@thezedwards (@thezedwards) May 23, 2022
iOS + Android proof:
👀🫥😮💨🤡⛈️⚖️💸💸💸 pic.twitter.com/u3Q30KIs7e
Read Also: DuckDuckGo vs. Google: Which Is the Better Search Engine for Your Privacy?
DuckDuckGo CEO Explains Why
The CEO and founder of DuckDuckGo, Gabriel Weinberg, confirmed the findings of Edwards, verifying that its privacy browser allows Microsoft trackers. He further added that its search engine, on the other hand, is not affected by the same limitations that its browser faces.
The DuckDuckGo founder threw light on its non-blocking of Microsoft trackers, saying that it is part of its syndication agreement with the firm behind Bing. The CEO further disclosed that their agreement prevents the privacy browser from "stopping Microsoft-owned scripts from loading."
In a more recent tweet to Bleeping Computer, Weinberg assures its users that they are already attempting to fix the restrictions on its tracker blocking.
Related Article: DuckDuckGo Search Engine Now Blocks Google AMP Following Brave Web Browser's Move - Here's Why
