Lockdown, a new app launching today, is designed to be an open source firewall, letting users block any connection to any domain, including those that use ad tracking services and analytics platforms to monitor device usage.

Lockdown is free to download and use, and because it operates on device, it collects no user data. Lockdown uses Apple's VPN setup to function, though it is not a VPN and will not obscure your own IP address.



Using Lockdown, you can block any domain, including those from companies like Facebook, and the app comes with a pre-set list of recommended domains to block to prevent tracking. Facebook tracking and other analytics tracking options from companies like Google, Mixpanel, and more are automatically blocked upon installing the app, and you can add your own custom lists too.

In addition to preventing unwanted tracking, the Lockdown app promises faster browsing speeds because unwanted connections are blocked, saving loading time.

Lockdown comes from the team behind Duet Display, and in the future, the app will offer a paid option that includes VPN functionality. Lockdown's developers are hoping that the launch of the app will incentivize developers to use more privacy-focused analytics frameworks and app discovery methods that rely less on trackers from major companies like Google and Facebook.

Lockdown can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]