Many people have been talking about DuckDuckGo (DDG) web browser, a private search engine, lately. The popular privacy-focused search engine that prides itself on privacy protection has come under fire for not being as private as people assumed. In recent years, the DuckDuckGo search engine has been the most popular alternative for people who want to avoid Google and other search engines that track users’ webpage online activity and data collection and have no internet privacy usage. It claims to block trackers from advertisers and filter out personalized search results. DuckDuckGo’s tagline implies that it is private, and its privacy structure is simple. However, a researcher named Zack Edwards revealed that there were some things DuckDuckGo.com did not tell users.
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Why DuckDuckGo Is Not as Private as Previously Thought
An investigation of DuckDuckGo’s browser showed that it had a contract with Microsoft for syndicated search content. This means that some of Microsoft’s sites can bypass certain tracker-blocking features of DuckDuckGo. As the entity stated before, it still does not store the personal information of the people who use it. However, the contract means that Microsoft can track users’ IP addresses if they click on ads.
The allegations were affirmed by DuckDuckGo’s founder and CEO, Gabriel Weinberg. He acknowledged that the company allowed some of Microsoft’s trackers but strived to protect ad clicks. Also, he noted that DuckDuckGo search results and ads remain entirely anonymous. Weinberg emphasized that the tracking in question attempts to stop websites from loading third-party tracking scripts. He said that stopping them improves privacy and download speeds. DuckDuckGo plans to release an upgrade soon to enhance Microsoft’s third-party security.
DuckDuckGo’s Dependency on Microsoft Bing
The Bing Connection
While DuckDuckGo markets itself as an independent private search engine, it actually relies heavily on Microsoft’s Bing for its search results through a syndicated search content contract with Microsoft. This means DuckDuckGo search results are largely powered by Bing’s index, not an independent crawler like Google Chrome or other major search engines use.
This dependency became controversial when users realized that DuckDuckGo.com couldn’t truly be “independent” from Microsoft while simultaneously relying on Bing for core search functionality. The relationship extends beyond just search queries—it includes advertising partnerships that directly conflicted with DuckDuckGo’s tracker blocking claims, particularly on Microsoft-owned domains like LinkedIn.
For users seeking a truly independent alternative, this raises questions about whether DuckDuckGo can maintain privacy protection while being financially and technically dependent on one of the world’s largest data collection companies.
More Backlash for DuckDuckGo
Shortly after Russian forces were sent to Ukraine, Weinberg announced that DuckDuckGo would start down-ranking websites that spread misinformation associated with Russia. Since many DuckDuckGo users who are proponents of online privacy are also promoters of free speech, they argued that the decision was unfair. Weinberg shared the decision via Twitter and received many unfavorable responses from people who accused DuckDuckGo of bias and censorship.
In all fairness, the platform did not mislead people in this aspect. The decision has nothing to do with privacy, which is one of the main reasons people choose the search engine over others. As Weinberg stated, the key points of DuckDuckGo are privacy and relevance. The search engine is open with users about its content ranking feature that shows them more relevant content instead of less relevant information. Weinberg said that the company plans to continue its strategy for showing relevant results. Without a structure to show more relevant content, the quality of all types of searches may suffer. However, the tracking issue still worries many users.
Anonymous User Feedback
Is DuckDuckGo Safe To Use?
Currently, DuckDuckGo is working to omit the problematic Microsoft contract clause. Weinberg said that the current structure keeps DuckDuckGo from “doing more to Microsoft-owned properties.” DuckDuckGo remains committed to changing this. People who currently use DuckDuckGo for searches can still use it without worrying about their searches being shared. All search queries and search results on the DuckDuckGo platform are anonymous. However, once a user clicks a link and navigates to another website, that activity may not be anonymous.
As Weinberg said, the DuckDuckGo platform functionality is imperfect and never will be. It is still a more private option than big-name search engines. For people who do not trust DuckDuckGo now and want to try a different browser, Brave and Startpage are two options committed to not tracking users.
Pros and Cons of DuckDuckGo
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Prioritizes your privacy | Not as convenient as Google Search |
| No search history stored or sold to advertisers | Smaller market share means less comprehensive search results than Google |
| Your personal information isn’t tracked across websites | Fewer integrated services like Google Maps, Gmail, etc |
| Can be set as default search engine on Apple, Android, and most browsers | Relies on Bing and Yahoo for search results rather than independent crawling |
| Simple, easy-to-use interface | No personalization can produce less relevant results |
| Available with VPN and malware protection through Privacy Pro | Microsoft tracking scripts bypass protections on Bing and LinkedIn |
| Better privacy than Incognito mode or standard Google Search | Based in the US—can be compelled to hand over user data to law enforcement agencies |
| Works well for basic searches and protecting from hackers | Less effective for SEO research and technical searches compared to Google |
| Microsoft syndicated search agreement creates dependency and privacy risks |
DuckDuckGo’s Intrusive AI Features
In July 2025, DuckDuckGo rolled out a significant browser redesign that introduced Duck.ai, their AI chat assistant, directly into the browsing experience. While the company positioned this as an optional privacy-focused AI feature, many users have complained about the implementation feeling intrusive and difficult to disable.
Duck.ai can appear as a sidebar on the right side of the browser window, displaying AI chat conversations and prompts. For users who don’t want AI integration in their browser, this sidebar can take up significant screen real estate and display unwanted content, including chat history that some users describe as “AI reminiscing.” The feature was automatically enabled for many existing DuckDuckGo users following the July 2025 update, leading to frustration among those who chose DuckDuckGo specifically for its minimalist, no-frills approach to privacy.
How to Disable Duck.ai
If you’re experiencing unwanted AI features in DuckDuckGo, you can disable them through several methods:
In DuckDuckGo Browser Settings:
- Navigate to Settings > AI Features and toggle Duck.ai off
- Alternatively, go to Settings > Appearance > New Tab Page and disable “Duck.AI” from the Sections menu
- Click the menu button (☰) and toggle off “Duck.ai” from the sidebar options
For Firefox Users: If you’re seeing Duck.ai in regular Firefox (not the DuckDuckGo browser), you may have inadvertently installed a Duck.ai sidebar extension or configured Firefox’s native chatbot sidebar to use DuckDuckGo’s AI service. Check your Firefox extensions and remove any Duck.ai-related add-ons, or access about:config and modify the browser.ml.chat.provider settings.
While DuckDuckGo maintains that Duck.ai is privacy-preserving and doesn’t require login credentials, the automatic rollout of AI features represents a shift from the company’s traditionally minimal approach, leaving some long-time users questioning whether DuckDuckGo is still the privacy-focused alternative they originally chose.
FAQ
Has DuckDuckGo been involved in any privacy scandals?
