How DuckDuckGo Can Be Used To Maximize Your Browsing Privacy

More and more people have started to realize just how little privacy they have online and they have started to say - enough. The state of our relationship to tech companies can be upsetting at times which is why many people have started to quit Twitter and Facebook, avoid Amazon and give up on Google.

This is where DuckDuckGo comes in; it is a decade old web privacy company which offers users a tracker-free alternative to Google, and other search/web-browsing utilities. It minimizes the number of companies and sites that track you throughout your web experience.

A great thing about the site is that it works in tandem with most of the apps that we already use. It can be customized to allow you to benefit from different levels of protection. Unlike other more intensive web security measures such as a VPN or Tor, most of the benefits can still be gained without having an impact on your browsing at all. It is often referred to as a gateway drug to online security. So, if you want to try something new, it is recommended to integrate DuckDuckGo into your life. Let’s walk through everything that you should know about it.

DuckDuckGo Search: Ask the Internet a Private Question

One of the core services provided by DuckDuckGo is untracked search and it is just as good as it sounds. You would use a search bar, either on the browser’s address bar or on the DDG site in order to search for whatever you want, just like with Google but without being tracked. There aren’t any differences between the two. However, there are slight differences for Google Image search.

Now, the good thing is that switching to DuckDuckGo is quite easy and does not require one to change their browsing habits. The default browser can be set as DuckDuckGo in just about every major web browser and this allows you to it when searching using the address bar. Although the exact path might vary from browser to browser, the process for changing the default browser is overall the same. Head over to the browser preferences. Find the Search Engine section and simply click on the - default search engine - option, or the - search engine used in the address bar. The DuckDuckGo extensions on Firefox and Chrome would automatically reset the browser to DuckDuckGo when they have been installed.

Browser Extension for the Privacy Essentials: The Educational Ad-Blocker

When it comes to DuckDuckGo, the Privacy Essentials browser extension at its core is just an ad-blocker. It will help prevent any of the sites from showing pop-ups, banners or any other ads that are found while you browse through the web. Furthermore, it even blocks third-party web trackers. It simply blocks anything which one does not agree to through the terms of service of the site, and most importantly, it even blocks who has been trying to hoard your data.

The extension that is available for Firefox and Chrome, goes beyond the do not track requires and it blocks any third-party web trackers. Another great thing that it does is that it shows you a list of the trackers that block so that you have a better idea of who has been trying to get their hands on your data.

This also allows you to stay mindful of the digital policy. A privacy grade is generated by DuckDuckGo, whenever you go to a page on the basis of the amount of tracking requests that it blocks and the terms of service agreement are reviewed from the privacy watchdog site, TOS. Another thing that it can do is that it can force sites to make use of an encrypted connection which actually minimizes the number of companies that watch you.

It is easy to take advantage of these features. Once DuckDuckGo has been installed, the current page’s letter grade can be seen in the extension icon when one navigates over to a new site. Once you click on it, you would be shown a breakdown of the extension calculated grade.

Privacy Browser for the Phone App: For Your Browsing Data

DuckDuckGo goes the extra mile and it is available for both Android and iOS. The web browser wholesale can be replaced with the Privacy Browser app, instead of actually injecting itself into other apps.

Furthermore, the app is actually just like a simplified version of the standard mobile web browser version of Safari or Chrome. But, it provides you with the added features of Privacy Essentials extension. The ad companies which even try to serve you would get blocked. The privacy essentials grade would show up on the left corner of the top browser bar. This allows you to freely surf the web comfortably.

There is another extra feature on the app. There is a - burn - button right at the bottom of the browser bar that closes all of the tabs and even deletes all of the browsing data so that one can fully close the loop for the browsing session. Although, DuckDuckGo does not share any of your personal data with anyone, however, data is stored internally. The data is saved internally as one goes for services such as auto-complete of the site addresses which have already been visited. The data would be deleted by clicking on the burn button and it would start over. Besides, the only safe data is one which is dead or deleted.

Consideration

Now, after having done some testing, it is found that the app might be a bit inconvenient and it even works harder to protect privacy. Keep in mind that bookmarks cannot be traced from one browser to another. Ultimately, one gets 99% of the privacy benefits by using DuckDuckGo. All you need to do is install the various extensions and apps related to this search engine. Anyone that is tired of creepy online ads and companies taking advantage of your online presence should consider giving it a try. There are many benefits of using this platform