What new telemetry practices has DuckDuckGo adopted since 2023 to reduce data collection?
Executive summary
DuckDuckGo says it has continued to shrink the data surface it collects by moving processing into the client, tightening what leaves the browser, and changing which third parties are called from the browser — steps the company frames as reducing telemetry and exposure since 2023 [1] [2]. Independent reporting and bug-tracker records show engineering work to fix telemetry pings and remove or limit third-party trackers, but critics say some third‑party exposures (ads, map services) and past exceptions created transparency gaps that DuckDuckGo has had to address [3] [4] [5].
1. Client-side processing and local telemetry moves
DuckDuckGo has emphasized doing more work locally in the browser to avoid sending identifying details back to its servers, a practice the company has publicly defended and committed to in earlier controversies and reiterates in its product updates and help pages, positioning this client-side processing as a core way to limit telemetry and personally identifiable data transmission [6] [2] [1].
2. Blocking and removing third‑party trackers, including the Microsoft exception
Following scrutiny about allowing Microsoft trackers in earlier versions of its browser, DuckDuckGo publicly said it was working to remove contractual exceptions that permitted Microsoft trackers and to be clearer in its app descriptions; reporting from 2022 and later summaries indicate the company has taken steps to block more trackers and to update browser behavior around those exemptions, with some sources indicating a 2023 browser update that further blocked such trackers [4] [5] [7].
3. Fixing telemetry “noise”: more accurate, fewer spurious pings
Engineers and browser bug trackers show active fixes to inconsistent telemetry pings — for example, changes to detect both DOMContentLoaded and load events to avoid false or delayed telemetry records related to ads — a technical measure that reduces unnecessary telemetry traffic and prevents overcounting or unintended data being sent [3].
4. Replacing third‑party services that risk exposing IPs (maps and ads)
DuckDuckGo’s product changes since 2023 include swapping or integrating alternative providers (for example integrating Apple Maps in 2023) and clarifying how search results may route some requests through third parties; those shifts are presented as efforts to limit exposure of user data to ad or mapping servers, although the company acknowledges some interactions (clicking ads or map results) can still contact third-party servers where IPs may be logged [7] [4].
5. New AI features designed to keep queries anonymous
As DuckDuckGo experiments with AI-assisted features, the company frames its approach around anonymous access to models (routing or proxying queries in a way intended not to log identifiable user data), a practice reported as part of post‑2023 feature rollouts that aim to preserve privacy while adding capabilities [8] [1].
6. The gap between engineering fixes and user-facing transparency
While DuckDuckGo’s help pages and updates repeatedly state “DuckDuckGo never tracks you” and highlight technical steps to limit telemetry, critics and independent audits point to a history of exceptions and to opaque areas — for instance how ads and some third‑party services are handled — creating a transparency gap that the company has acknowledged and said it’s working to close [2] [4] [5].
7. Assessment and limits of the reporting
Available sources document concrete engineering efforts — localizing favicon and other telemetry, fixing buggy telemetry pings, blocking additional trackers and replacing some third‑party services, and designing anonymous AI access — all framed by DuckDuckGo as reducing data collection since 2023, but public records and independent reporting also show residual exposures (ads, third‑party map requests) and a need for clearer, ongoing documentation; reporting reviewed here does not include a single authoritative post‑2023 privacy policy change enumerating every telemetry practice, so some specifics remain inferred from product updates and bug reports [1] [3] [4] [8] [2] [7].