How does DuckDuckGo's privacy policy describe search logging practices?
Executive summary
DuckDuckGo’s public privacy policy states it does not save IP addresses or any unique identifiers “alongside your searches or visits” and “never log[s] IP addresses or any unique identifiers to disk that could be tied back to you or to your search and browsing history” [1]. Independent explainers reproduce DuckDuckGo’s core claim — that it does not track or create user profiles and that searches are anonymous — while some commentary raises limits and past implementation issues [2] [3].
1. What DuckDuckGo’s policy actually says — the company line
DuckDuckGo’s official privacy page declares that it does not save IP addresses or unique identifiers with searches or visits and “never log[s] IP addresses or any unique identifiers to disk” that could be tied back to a person; it says some transient information is used temporarily for delivering content and for anti-bot/security functions, and that anonymous search queries — disconnected from identifiers — may be saved to improve search indexes [1].
2. How third‑party summaries present that claim
Multiple technology explainers and FAQs repeat the company message: DuckDuckGo is designed so “no search queries are logged or associated with individual users” and it “does not track your searches,” framing the service as privacy‑first and distinct from profile‑building search engines like Google or Bing [2] [4]. These summaries emphasize anonymization and reduced reliance on tracking for ads [5] [6].
3. What “not logged to disk” and “anonymous queries” mean in practice — per available sources
DuckDuckGo’s language separates temporary in‑memory handling from persistent logging: it says certain information is used “temporarily” to deliver content and fight malicious bots, while only anonymized queries — explicitly disconnected from unique identifiers — are retained to improve search indexes [1]. Independent explainers characterize this as a model that avoids building user profiles and search histories [2].
4. Reported caveats and past technical traces
Critics and some technical writeups point to limitations: reporting indicates older versions of DuckDuckGo’s desktop browser could leave local traces of previous searches in local storage until early 2025, creating an operating‑system level artifact that could be exposed to a local attacker or ISP — a practical gap between policy and earlier implementation, though the report says this issue has been fixed [3].
5. Where privacy can be reduced by external links and services
DuckDuckGo’s policy itself warns that when users navigate away — clicking external links, using !bang shortcuts, or clicking ads — the privacy policies and logging of destination sites apply; IPs or identifiers may be visible to those third parties even if DuckDuckGo does not retain them [1]. Independent analyses also note that some features (e.g., maps, shopping, or ad clicks) can route requests through third‑party servers that may log IP addresses [3].
6. Competing perspectives and implicit agendas
Company documents and privacy‑friendly outlets present DuckDuckGo as a privacy alternative that “does not track” and focuses on contextual advertising rather than data harvesting [1] [5]. Trade‑oriented explainers reiterate that stance to audiences seeking easy privacy wins [6]. Critical pieces highlight implementation limits and earlier client‑side storage issues, signaling a journalistic agenda to probe gaps between marketing claims and reality [3].
7. What reporters and users should check for themselves
Available sources do not provide detailed, independent forensic audits of DuckDuckGo’s server‑side telemetry; they document company assertions, explainers that repeat those assertions, and at least one report about prior local‑storage artifacts [1] [2] [3]. For readers assessing risk: verify your browser version (the local‑storage issue was fixed according to reporting), be cautious with external links and ad clicks, and remember that “no logging to disk” pertains to DuckDuckGo’s stated internal practices while third parties may behave differently [3] [1].
8. Bottom line — accurate but not absolute
DuckDuckGo’s published policy and many summaries consistently state the company does not log IPs or unique identifiers with searches and keeps only anonymized queries for product improvement [1] [2]. Independent coverage documents a real past client‑side trace issue and warns that interactions with third parties can expose IPs outside DuckDuckGo’s control [3] [1]. Available sources do not mention a comprehensive independent audit proving continuous perfect adherence, nor do they mention detailed server‑side logging telemetry from neutral researchers [1] [2].
If you want, I can extract the exact wording from DuckDuckGo’s privacy page and the passages in the critical report about the local‑storage issue so you can compare them side‑by‑side [1] [3].