The DuckDuckGo browser allows Microsoft trackers to run on third-party websites, according to a report.
As originally reported by Bleeping ComputerDuckDuckGo allows Microsoft to track user data in the browser (not to be confused with the DuckDuckGo search engine), thanks to a syndication agreement between the two companies.
DuckDuckGo has always prided itself on finding a gap in the internet search market by failing to collect data about its users. It offers partner contextual advertising instead of cookie and tracking-based advertising, based on user data and user profiling (which Google uses), but the aforementioned agreement changes things, with user data being transferred to Microsoft.
This was discovered by security researcher Zach Edwardswho posted his findings on Twitter.
You can record data within the DuckDuckGo, the so-called private browser on a website such as that of Facebook https://t.co/u8W44qvsqF and you will see that DDG is NOT stopping dataflows to Microsoft’s Linkedin domains or their Bing ad domains.
iOS + Android proof:
pic.twitter.com/u3Q30KIs7e— ??????? (@thezedwards) May 23, 2022
DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg was quick to respond to Edwards’ Twitter thread.
For non-search tracker blocking (e.g. in our browser), we block most third-party trackers. Unfortunately, our Microsoft search syndication agreement prevents us from doing more with Microsoft properties. However, we are constantly pushing and expect to do more soon.
— Gabriel Weinberg (@yegg) May 23, 2022
“If you click on an ad delivered by Microsoft, you will be redirected to the advertiser’s landing page through the Microsoft Advertising platform. At that point, Microsoft Advertising will use your full IP address and user-agent string so it can properly process the ad click and tax the advertiser,” DuckDuckGo said in a statement. the help page that made it about the problem†
So, according to an agreement between the privacy-focused search engine and Microsoft, you’re basically… being tracked, just not in the same, information-intensive way that you could be tracked in Google Chrome.
While DuckDuckGo doesn’t collect information about you or create a profile about your search behavior, the Bleeping Computer report explains that the browser (currently) allows Microsoft trackers to track you around the web. Trackers related to “bing.com” and “linkedin.com” (both owned by Microsoft) are allowed in the DuckDuckGo browser. Yaks.
Weinberg clarified later that this tracking only occurs in the DuckDuckGo browser and that the search engine itself does not have the same issues.
As indicated by Bleeping Computer in the original reportit’s kinda suspense that DuckDuckGo has only clarified issues with tracking Microsoft apps after a researcher discovered it. In addition, we have reached out to Microsoft for comment.
Furthermore, Weinberg Bleeping Computer issued a statement after the news broke, saying that the company has been “extremely careful never to promise anonymity”.
Another excerpt from the statement reads:
“When most other browsers on the market talk about tracking protection, they usually refer to third-party cookie protection and fingerprint protection, and our browsers for iOS, Android, and our new Mac beta impose these restrictions on third-party tracking scripts, including those from Microsoft. .
What we’re talking about here is an over-the-top protection that most browsers don’t even try to do — that is, blocking third-party tracking scripts before they load on third-party websites. Because we do this where we can, users still get significantly more privacy protection with DuckDuckGo than with Safari, Firefox and other browsers.”
Weinberg also said: that DuckDuckGo is working with Microsoft to remove this “restriction”.
DuckDuckGo does a pretty good job of privacy by not creating profiles of its users and by not tracking users from web page to web page. That said, this is clearly a misstep on the part of the privacy-focused company, and to hear from the CEO that the company “never promised anonymity” is certainly a bit of a surprise.
If you’re disappointed with DuckDuckGo, maybe it’s time to do so start thinking about a browser alternative†
#Turns #DuckDuckGos #browser #private #thought