What is DuckDuckGo?

DuckDuckGo is a company that makes a search engine and a web browser built around the idea that the best way to protect your data is to collect less of it. It launched in 2008, and according to its own about page it decided in 2010 not to track search history.

The search engine works like Google from the outside: you type a query and get a page of results. The difference, as the company describes it, is that your searches aren't tracked. The browser, available on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, adds tracker and cookie blocking and removes cookie pop-ups.

The company says the browser is free and that it earns money from search ads that don't rely on your personal data. It also sells a subscription that bundles a VPN, access to more advanced AI models, removal of personal information from people-finder sites, and identity restoration if your identity is stolen.

These are the company's own claims, so treat them as what DuckDuckGo says it does, not as an independent audit.

What it does and doesn't cover

A private search engine stops one company from building a profile of what you search for. It doesn't touch the data about you that already sits elsewhere. Your home address and phone number can still appear on people-search sites no matter which search engine you use. Searching privately and getting your listings taken down are two separate jobs.

DuckDuckGo vs. a VPN

A VPN hides your traffic from your internet provider and masks your IP address from sites. DuckDuckGo's search and browser reduce tracking by sites and advertisers. They overlap a little, but one doesn't replace the other.