- Who runs DuckDuckGo and how it started
- What DuckDuckGo says about tracking your searches
- How DuckDuckGo makes money without profiling you
- The Microsoft tracker controversy
- Where DuckDuckGo's results come from
- Is the DuckDuckGo browser safe to use?
- Before you switch to DuckDuckGo
- Fake DuckDuckGo apps and support scams
- Where I land on DuckDuckGo
- Frequently asked questions
Yes, DuckDuckGo is a real US company, founded by Gabriel Weinberg in 2008, and it says it never tracks you when you use its search engine. The catch is that it isn't a magic invisibility cloak: it relies on Microsoft for ads and has had to explain tracker rules in its browser, so read the limits before you rely on it.
DuckDuckGo gets recommended a lot as the private alternative to Google, which is why so many people ask if it's safe or just clever marketing. I've read what the company says about itself in its help pages and what Wikipedia records about the one big controversy, so you can see where its promises are firm and where there's small print.
Who runs DuckDuckGo and how it started
According to Wikipedia, Gabriel Weinberg founded DuckDuckGo in 2008. The company is a privately held US company based in Paoli, Pennsylvania, and Weinberg is its CEO. So there's a named founder, a registered US company and a public track record, which is the opposite of a fly-by-night app.
What DuckDuckGo says about tracking your searches
DuckDuckGo's help pages say it never tracks you when you use its search engine, and that viewing ads on DuckDuckGo is anonymous. It also says it lacks the personal information that other search engines use to build ad profiles, such as search, browsing and purchase history, because of its privacy policy.
That's a company statement, not an independent audit, so treat it as a promise you're choosing to trust. For the full list of what it does collect, the company points to its privacy policy, and that's worth skimming once.
How DuckDuckGo makes money without profiling you
DuckDuckGo says the majority of its revenue is from private ads on its search engine. It says those ads are based on the results page you're viewing, not on a profile of you, so a search about cars might show car ads. You can turn ads off in search settings.
It also offers a subscription that bundles a VPN, advanced Duck.ai models, Personal Information Removal and Identity Theft Restoration, billed monthly or annually. If you're weighing up privacy tools, my comparison of two well-known VPNs shows what to look for in that kind of bundle.
The Microsoft tracker controversy
This is the honest caveat. According to Wikipedia, in 2022 a report by security researcher Zach Edwards found that DuckDuckGo's browser let Microsoft trackers keep running on non-DuckDuckGo sites, while Google and Facebook trackers were blocked. Weinberg said a Microsoft search syndication agreement limited what the company could do. Wikipedia says DuckDuckGo later began blocking Microsoft's trackers in 2022.
DuckDuckGo's own help page also explains an ad limit that's easy to miss. It says Microsoft Advertising doesn't associate your ad-click behavior with a user profile, but that advertisers' conversion tracking is an exception. Requests to bat.bing.com aren't blocked on advertisers' sites after DuckDuckGo ad clicks, and cookies set by those requests expire after 7 days.
| What I checked | What the record shows |
|---|---|
| Who founded it? | Gabriel Weinberg, in 2008, per Wikipedia |
| Is it a registered company? | A privately held US company, based in Pennsylvania |
| Does it track searches? | DuckDuckGo says it never tracks you in its search engine |
| How does it earn money? | Mainly private search ads, plus a subscription |
| Any known caveat? | A 2022 Microsoft tracker row and an ad-click conversion exception |
Where DuckDuckGo's results come from
DuckDuckGo isn't a standalone index. Wikipedia says the company states that its results draw on over 400 sources, including Bing, Yahoo! Search BOSS, Wolfram Alpha, Yandex and its own crawler, DuckDuckBot. That means your searches are private from DuckDuckGo's side, but the results aren't entirely its own work.
Is the DuckDuckGo browser safe to use?
DuckDuckGo says its browser's tracker blocking stops most 3rd-party trackers from loading in the first place. Notice the word most, because no blocker catches everything. If you want to add tools around your browser, my list of browser extensions people use for productivity is a starting point, and it's worth reading any extension's permissions first.
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Before you switch to DuckDuckGo
Switching is easy, but it's worth being clear about what you want. If your goal is fewer ads following you around, a search engine that doesn't build a profile of you helps with one part of the picture. It won't hide your activity from your internet provider, your employer's network or the websites you visit, and it can't fix a weak password or a phishing email.
So think of it as one layer. Pair it with unique passwords and extra verification on your important accounts. If you ever suspect something has gone wrong, my guide to signs that an account was hacked is a quick checklist.
Fake DuckDuckGo apps and support scams
A privacy brand with a big following is an obvious target for lookalikes. Install it only from the official website or your phone's official app store, and be wary of pop-ups claiming your device is infected that tell you to call a number or install a 'cleaner'. DuckDuckGo's help pages are the place to look for support, not a phone number from an advert.
Where I land on DuckDuckGo
It's a real company that's open about how it earns money, and there's no sign here that it's anything but a legitimate search engine and browser. Its privacy claims are the company's own, though, and the Microsoft ad limits show where the edges are. If you want less tracking, it's a reasonable option to look at, but check its privacy policy for your own situation.
Frequently asked questions
Is DuckDuckGo a legitimate company?
Yes. According to Wikipedia, Gabriel Weinberg founded it in 2008 and it's a privately held US company based in Paoli, Pennsylvania.
Does DuckDuckGo track my searches?
DuckDuckGo says it never tracks you when you use its search engine and that viewing ads on DuckDuckGo is anonymous.
How does DuckDuckGo make money?
It says the majority of its revenue is from private ads on its search engine, and it also offers a subscription bundling a VPN and other tools.
What was the Microsoft tracker row?
According to Wikipedia, a 2022 report found its browser allowed Microsoft trackers on some sites. Weinberg cited a Microsoft syndication agreement, and DuckDuckGo later began blocking them.
Can I turn off ads on DuckDuckGo?
Yes. DuckDuckGo's help page says you can turn off ads in search settings.
