Index/Topics/Tracker blocking and ephemeral cookies

Tracker blocking and ephemeral cookies

DuckDuckGo's browser and extensions emphasize default privacy settings, blocking third-party trackers and offering tools to clear local data.

Fact-Checks

8 results
Jan 26, 2026
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How effective are DuckDuckGo’s browser protections at blocking third‑party trackers compared with browser extensions?

’s browser and extensions block a large swath of third‑party trackers by preventing many tracking scripts from loading and by applying cookie and protections, a posture the company says “greatly excee...

Jan 27, 2026
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Does DuckDuckGo store search queries linked to individuals?

publicly states it does not retain individual users’ search queries or any data that would allow it to create a history tied to an identified person, and its privacy policy repeatedly emphasizes that ...

Jan 20, 2026
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How do I completely erase locally stored passwords in the DuckDuckGo browser on iOS and Android?

Completely erasing locally stored passwords in the DuckDuckGo mobile browser requires using the app’s data-clearing controls and understanding that passwords and identities are stored on-device (so re...

Jan 13, 2026

Do DuckDuckGo browser extensions enable encrypted DNS by default?

DuckDuckGo’s browser extension is designed to block trackers and improve search privacy, but there is no evidence in the provided reporting that the DuckDuckGo browser extensions turn on encrypted DNS...

Feb 4, 2026

Does DuckDuckGo use DNS over HTTPS (DoH) or DNS over TLS (DoT) by default in its apps and extensions?

’s VPN and related privacy products route DNS queries to DuckDuckGo-operated DNS servers by default and apply a to block harmful sites . The assembled reporting provided does not state whether those D...

Jan 20, 2026

What technical audits or independent security assessments exist for DuckDuckGo’s local storage claims?

DuckDuckGo has published at least one formal, third-party security audit for its VPN service carried out by Securitum in October 2024, but the public record in the supplied reporting contains no equiv...

Jan 10, 2026

What features are unique to DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials on Chrome vs Firefox?

DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials is offered as a browser extension on both Chrome and Firefox and supplies core protections — tracker blocking, smarter encryption, and private search integration — across...

Jan 7, 2026

What new telemetry practices has DuckDuckGo adopted since 2023 to reduce data collection?

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 b...