Users even have the option of letting the browser sort through those irritating cookie preference pop-ups (you know the ones). That's the biggest advantage of using DuckDuckGo: the suite of privacy protections. That service is enabled by default in the new app, and the browser also defaults to DuckDuckGo's search engine.

DuckDuckGo has a suite of privacy tools that go way beyond search, like an email protection service that removes trackers from your inbox. He pitches DuckDuckGo as not just a search engine, but a “privacy company” that will make privacy settings accessible for everyday users.

We know that in order to do this we must build apps that are a pleasure to use and provide as comprehensive privacy protection as possible, whether you’re on your phone, at your desk, in a hammock, or somewhere that is even nicer than a hammock,” reads a company blog post.Ī desktop app is essential for the company to truly take on Google - as Wired noted, 67% of Chrome users are on desktop, and the browser app allows Google to collect a ton of data.īut even so, DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg’s ambitions don’t stop here. “At DuckDuckGo our mission is to show the world that protecting privacy is simple. The macOS browser is still in beta and requires joining a wait list. But without a browser app, the company has trailed behind. Since its founding in 2008, DuckDuckGo has attempted to position itself as a more private alternative to search engines like Google and Bing, and has since waded into the browser wars, where it competes with Google, Safari and Microsoft Edge. Previously, users who preferred the privacy-centric search engine could only use it as an extension within Safari or Chrome, or as a standalone app on iPhone and Android. The new app enables Mac users to surf the web and evade data collectors. DuckDuckGo, well known for its privacy-focused search engine, at long last launched its desktop browser for macOS today as an alternative to Google Chrome or Safari.

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