DuckDuckGo’s Windows browser is here to protect your privacy

A few months ago, DuckDuckGo launched a privacy-focused browser on macOS. Well, Windows users no longer have to miss out, as the browser has found its way onto Microsoft’s operating system. If you want a web browsing experience that protects your privacy, it could be a good time to check it out. The browser is available as a public beta, according to a blog post from DuckDuckGo. It comes with a bunch of built-in privacy protections that could be ideal if you’re tired of trackers and cookies snooping on your internet sessions. For instance, DuckDuckGo’s app includes Duck Player, a video player that “lets you watch YouTube videos without privacy-invading ads and keeps video views from impacting your recommendations.” There’s a baked-in password manager, and if you’re sick of deceptive cookie consent pop-ups, DuckDuckGo will handle them by selecting the least invasive options for you. It can also automatically convert unencrypted HTTP web pages to the encrypted HTTPS standard (where available), hide your email address when you sign up for websites and newsletters, and even offers a one-click “Fire Button” that deletes your browsing data. And, being DuckDuckGo, it features robust tracker blocking that the company says goes beyond rival browsers — and results in 60% less data usage than Google Chrome, DuckDuckGo claims. If you’re moving across from another browser, you can import your bookmarks and passwords so you don’t need to start from scratch. The Windows beta doesn’t support extensions, although those are reportedly coming in the future. Right now, the Windows beta doesn’t have all the features of the Mac, iOS, and Android versions, but the developer says “It’s getting closer to parity with those browsers every day.” Among the things DuckDuckGo is working to bring to its Windows browser are “faster startup performance, the ability to pin tabs, HTML bookmark import, more options for the Fire Button, and additional privacy features like Fingerprinting Protection, Link Tracking Protection, and Referrer Tracking Protection.” Private password and bookmark syncing are also on the way. To give DuckDuckGo’s Windows browser a try, you can download the public beta from the DuckDuckGo website. If you’re after a privacy-focused web browser for your Windows device, it might be just what you’re looking for. Internet privacy company DuckDuckGo is speaking up again about its gripes with Google and its upcoming plans to replace third-party cookies in the Chrome browser with updated tracking and ad targeting methods. DuckDuckGo said in a recent blog post that despite Google’s insistence about its transition to using Google Topics and FLEDGE instead of third-party cookies to give you more control over your personal data, the new methods might be just as invasive, as the tech company implements it Privacy Sandbox update onto Chrome. Imagine you’re on a video call with your boss. You’re tired and stressed, but you’re trying to hold things together and be as professional as possible given the circumstances. Now imagine your boss knows all this because they have an app that is actively monitoring your mood and feeding back about your emotional state in real time. They know how you’re feeling even if you don’t say it. Their software is scanning and watching. This might sound dystopian but could soon become a reality. Companies are already working on adding emotional analysis to their apps, and it’s something video-conferencing app Zoom is also considering, although it hasn’t yet put it into action. A group of 28 privacy-focused organizations is trying to make Zoom change course and abandon the project. DuckDuckGo is entering the browser space on MacOS and, soon, Windows. Just announced is the beta launch of a privacy-first web browser on MacOS, based on the same rendering engine as Safari, but with additional blockers and performance improvements.