UPDATE: A spokesperson for DuckDuckGo told Array: “We’re doing a lot to block [Microsoft’s] tracking, adding third-party cookie blocking. I mean, we’re not blocking anything from [Microsoft] at all. Only one component of several protections we offer are affected by the agreement. “They are also under pressure that the agreement with Microsoft is “unrelated to our search results. “
“I never promised one hundred percent coverage because it’s not imaginable for several reasons. “
Original story: DuckDuckGo’s browser for iOS, Android, and macOS would allow Microsoft’s trackers to work despite the claim that it “automatically blocks hidden third-party trackers” for its users.
This exception to DuckDuckGo’s tracking protections revealed through security researcher Zach Edwards on May 23, reports BleepingComputer. Edwards tweeted evidence that DuckDuckGo’s browser allows trackers used through LinkedIn and Bing to load on the Workplace website:
DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg said on May 23 that “our Microsoft search syndication agreement prevents us from doing more for Microsoft properties” and that his company “has been pushing and hopes to do more soon. “
But it’s still unclear how DuckDuckGo handles Microsoft’s trackers. Weinberg says:
Weinberg presented an explanation in a message (Opens in new window) on the Hacker News forum:
“These are non-DuckDuckGo or Microsoft sites in our browsers, where our search syndication agreement lately prevents us from preventing the loading of scripts that belong to Microsoft, although we can still apply our browser protections after loading (as third parties). blocking cookies from components and others discussed above, and they do). We have also worked tirelessly on the scenes to replace this limited restriction. I also perceive this to be confusing because this is a study syndication contract that prevents us from doing anything other than about studies. This is because our product is a set of multiple privacy protections, and this is a distribution requirement that is imposed on us as a component of the study syndication agreement. Our syndication agreement also comprises extensive confidentiality provisions and the requirements documents themselves are explicitly marked as confidential.
DuckDuckGo also updated your browser description on the App Store (opens in a new window) to read: “Note about blocking our tracker: Although we block all cross-site (third-party) cookies on other sites you visit, you cannot block all tracking scripts hidden on sites other than DuckDuckGo for a variety of reasons, including: new scripts appear all the time, making them hard to find, blocking certain scripts creates interruptions that render parts or the entire page useless, some of us are prevented from blocking due to contractual restrictions with Microsoft. “
We reached out to DuckDuckGo to learn more about the types of trackers beyond the tracker blocking feature and will update that message when the company responds.
Meanwhile, this back and forth makes it clear that it is complicated to maintain even a semblance of confidentiality, even on particular equipment designed for this purpose.
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I’ve been writing about technology, adding everything from privacy and security to customer electronics and startups, since 2011 for a number of posts.
I have a knack for identifying emerging trends, a penchant for learning new things, and a lot of opinions. This mix lends itself well to security policy, bizarre technologies, and the latest news; Review of mice, keyboards and other practical products. and laugh as much as you can imagine in the process.
I write a lot about my MacBook Air, the maximum of my professional readings on an iPad Pro, and too many emails on an iPhone SE (2020) that I hate. Most of my procrastination is on a traditional PC running Windows 11 among my attempts to use Linux on the desktop or on a Nintendo Switch. But my favorite generation is my Apple Watch SE, as it helps me monitor my fitness and provides me with a flashlight on my wrist for midnight trips to other parts of my house. (Ahem. )