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Did duckduckgo have any scandals regarding data selling?
Executive summary
DuckDuckGo has faced public controversy — mainly in 2022 — over its mobile browser allowing some Microsoft-owned tracking scripts on third‑party sites as a side effect of a search syndication agreement; reporting shows the issue affected the browser more than the search engine and was later changed by DuckDuckGo [1] [2] [3]. Some outlets framed this as a “scandal” or “secret agreement” and criticized the company’s privacy claims, while fact‑checks and experts have said DuckDuckGo largely kept its core promise of not profiling users for ads [4] [5] [3].
1. What happened: the Microsoft‑tracking headlines
Multiple technology outlets and researchers reported in mid‑2022 that DuckDuckGo’s mobile browser allowed Microsoft tracking scripts — for example, LinkedIn and Bing — to bypass its tracker blocking on certain third‑party sites, which many readers saw as at odds with the company’s “privacy first” positioning [1] [2] [6]. Coverage described the discovery as a substantive privacy problem because it meant some web activity routed through the DuckDuckGo app could trigger data flows to Microsoft properties [2] [1].
2. Why DuckDuckGo gave that explanation
DuckDuckGo and its CEO explained the behavior as a consequence of a search syndication agreement with Microsoft (using Bing results and ads), and they emphasized the exception affected the browser’s handling of some third‑party content rather than DuckDuckGo’s core search product; DuckDuckGo also argued its services still provided more privacy protection than mainstream alternatives [1] [5]. Company statements said Microsoft did not use the data to profile DuckDuckGo users for ads and that the search product generally doesn’t collect identifiers to sell ads [6] [3].
3. How outlets characterized it: “scandal” vs. nuance
Some outlets and blog posts labeled the episode a scandal or “secret agreement,” arguing DuckDuckGo had undermined user trust by permitting Microsoft scripts [2] [4] [7]. Other reporting — including Reuters fact checks and subsequent pieces — noted technical caveats: trackers can evade many protections, the original exception was small and browser‑specific, and experts still considered DuckDuckGo largely distinct from Google/Bing in not profiling users for ad targeting [3] [5].
4. What DuckDuckGo changed (and the timeline limits)
Reporting and the Reuters fact check state DuckDuckGo removed the exception that permitted some Microsoft‑owned tracking scripts in August 2022, indicating the company changed the behavior after the disclosures [3]. Available sources do not mention more recent, separate large‑scale admissions that DuckDuckGo sold user data to third parties; instead, they document the browser exception and later company actions [3] [1].
5. Broader context: privacy promises vs. technical reality
Privacy tools and browsers operate in a difficult “cat‑and‑mouse” environment where trackers and scripts can sometimes bypass defenses; Reuters quotes experts saying trackers can evade blocklists and that this complicates absolute claims of privacy protection [3]. Wired and other analyses used the episode to argue that surveillance capitalism is pervasive and even privacy‑oriented firms can have compromises, while DuckDuckGo insisted its search and browser still offered better protections than competitors [5] [8].
6. Conflicting narratives and hidden incentives
Critics framing the episode as a scandal emphasized reputational risk and suggested commercial agreements can create pressure to concede privacy protections [2] [4]. DuckDuckGo’s public stance — defending that the exception was limited and later removed — points to a competing narrative: operational constraints and contractual realities rather than deliberate “selling” of user data [1] [6]. Readers should note outlets with security‑tool commercial ties or advocacy aims may use stronger language [9] [10].
7. Bottom line for readers asking “did DuckDuckGo sell data?”
Available sources document that DuckDuckGo’s browser allowed some Microsoft tracking scripts due to a contractual arrangement — an episode widely reported as controversial — but the reporting and fact checks stop short of showing DuckDuckGo sold user data at scale; Reuters and DuckDuckGo maintain the company generally did not profile users for ad targeting and removed the exception in August 2022 [3] [6]. If you’re evaluating trust, weigh this episode against DuckDuckGo’s subsequent product changes and ongoing public statements about data broker fights and privacy tools [8].
Limitations: this synthesis uses the provided reporting; available sources do not mention any later admissions or regulatory findings that DuckDuckGo sold user data beyond the browser tracking exception described above [3] [1].