DuckDuckGo has recorded a 600% rise in traffic enjoyed in the wake of the Edward Snowden revelations two years ago.

The site, which does not track user data, now handles some 3bn searches a year - although that is only about the same volume that Google processes in 24 hours.

Apple also helped by making DuckDuckGo an option in Safari’s search with the arrival of iOS8 last year.

Founded in 2008 by Gabriel Weinberg and based in Paoli, Pennsylvania rather than Silicon Valley, he says the site makes money from keyword advertising that advertisers bid for.

“You type in car and you get a car ad. And it’s really that straight forward,” he told CNBC.

‘Data leak’

“Google tracks you on all of these other sites because they run huge advertising networks and other properties like Gmail and photos … so they need that search engine data to track you. That’s why ads follow you round the internet,” said Weinberg.

By focusing on web search alone, DuckDuckGo avoids the need for tracking. Weinberg said: “What consumers don’t really understand is that their data is being leaked for other reasons they don’t even realise.”

He adds browsing in incognito mode does not protect web users from tracking. “Google is still tracking you, your ISP still knows where you’re going.”



While Weinberg believes DuckDuckGo’s share of the search market can continue to rise, he concedes that brand awareness remains low.

The site also promises to provide the information users want with fewer clicks through features such as instant answers, themes and !bangs.

Putting ! before a search for !amazon shoes takes users directly to an Amazon search for footwear on Amazon.com. !bangs are available for thousands of sites including Facebook, Twitter and eBay.

DuckDuckGo hopes these other features will help it continue to build on the audience gained from people looking for more private ways to search the web following the Snowden revelations.