DuckDuckGo#Tor access
{{Short description|Privacy-focused online search engine}}
{{About|the search engine|the children's game|Duck, duck, goose}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox website
| name = DuckDuckGo
| logo = DuckDuckGo logo.svg
| logo_size = 120px
| screenshot = DDG screenshot 2015.png{{!}}border
| screenshot_size = 300px
| caption = Screenshot of DuckDuckGo home page as of 2015
| url = {{url|https://duckduckgo.com/}}
| commercial = Yes
| type = Search engine
| registration = None
| language = Multilingual
| programming_language = Perl, JavaScript, Python{{cite web|url=https://duck.co/help/company/architecture|title=Architecture|work=DuckDuckGo Community Platform|access-date=March 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422235108/https://duck.co/help/company/architecture|archive-date=April 22, 2018|url-status=dead}}
| owner = Duck Duck Go, Inc.{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=141641872 |title=Duck Duck Go, Inc.: Private Company Information |access-date=May 2, 2017 |website=Bloomberg News}}
| founder = Gabriel Weinberg
| CEO = Gabriel Weinberg
| key_people = Steve Fischer (CBO)
| launch_date = {{start date and age|2008|9|25}}
| current_status = Active
| location = 20 Paoli Pike, Paoli, Pennsylvania, United States
| area_served = Worldwide, except for Indonesia{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesia-bans-search-engine-duckduckgo-gambling-pornography-concerns-2024-08-02/ |title=Indonesia bans search engine DuckDuckGo on gambling, pornography concerns |date= August 2, 2024 |access-date=August 27, 2024 |website=Reuters}}
}}
DuckDuckGo is an American software company focused on online privacy, whose flagship product is a search engine named DuckDuckGo. Founded by Gabriel Weinberg in 2008, its later products include browser extensions{{cite web |title=How To Add DuckDuckGo to Your Browser |url=https://duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/desktop/adding-duckduckgo-to-your-browser/ |website=duckduckgo.com |access-date=9 March 2024}} and a custom DuckDuckGo web browser.{{cite web |title=Does DuckDuckGo make a browser? |url=https://duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/get-duckduckgo/does-duckduckgo-make-a-browser/ |website=duckduckgo.com |access-date=9 March 2024}} Headquartered in Paoli, Pennsylvania, DuckDuckGo is a privately held company with about 200 employees.{{Cite web|title=About DuckDuckGo|url=https://duckduckgo.com/about|url-status=live |access-date=15 February 2024 |website=DuckDuckGo|language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125024922/http://duckduckgo.com/about |archive-date=25 November 2022}} The company's name is a reference to the children's game duck, duck, goose.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/ducking-google-in-search-engines/2012/11/09/6cf3af10-2842-11e2-bab2-eda299503684_story.html |title=Ducking Google in search engines |newspaper=The Washington Post |first=Michael|last=Rosenwald |date=November 9, 2012 |access-date=March 19, 2013}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/10/nsa-duckduckgo-gabriel-weinberg-prism|title=NSA scandal delivers record numbers of internet users to DuckDuckGo|last=Arthur|first=Charles|date=July 10, 2013|work=The Guardian|access-date=July 10, 2013}}
History
= Early years =
DuckDuckGo was founded by Gabriel Weinberg and launched on February 29, 2008, in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.{{Cite web|title=About DuckDuckGo|url=https://duckduckgo.com/about|access-date=January 30, 2020|website=DuckDuckGo}}{{Cite web|url=https://dukgo.com/help/en_US/company/history|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006201326/https://dukgo.com/help/en_US/company/history|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 6, 2013|title=History |date=October 6, 2013 |access-date=November 12, 2018}} Weinberg is an entrepreneur who previously launched Names Database, a now-defunct social network. Self-funded by Weinberg until October 2011, DuckDuckGo was then "backed by Union Square Ventures and a handful of angel investors."{{Cite web|last=DuckDuckGo|title=History|url=https://help.duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/company/history/|access-date=2021-07-13|website=DuckDuckGo Help Pages}}{{cite web |last=Burnham |first=Brad |date=October 13, 2011 |title=Duck Duck Go |url=https://www.usv.com/blog/duck-duck-go |access-date=October 14, 2011 |website=Union Square Ventures blog}} Union Square partner Brad Burnham stated, "We invested in DuckDuckGo because we became convinced that it was not only possible to change the basis of competition in search, it was time to do it." In addition, Trisquel, Linux Mint, and the Midori web browser switched to use DuckDuckGo as their default search engine.{{cite web |author=Mithrandir |date=November 25, 2010 |title=DuckDuckGo in Web Browser |url=https://trisquel.info/en/issues/2608#comment-8213 |access-date=March 19, 2013 |publisher=Trisquel.info}} DuckDuckGo gains revenue via advertisements and affiliate programs.{{Cite web|last=DuckDuckGo|title=Advertising and Affiliates|url=https://help.duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/company/advertising-and-affiliates/|access-date=2021-07-13|website=DuckDuckGo Help Pages}} The search engine is written in Perl{{cite web|url = https://github.com/duckduckgo/duckduckgo/wiki/DuckDuckGoPerl |title = DuckDuckGoPerl · duckduckgo/duckduckgo Wiki · GitHub |publisher=GitHub |access-date = May 10, 2016}} and runs on nginx, FreeBSD, and Linux.{{cite web|url = http://ostatic.com/blog/duckduckgo-a-new-search-engine-built-from-open-source|title = DuckDuckGo: A New Search Engine Built from Open Source|last = Buys|first = Jon|date = July 10, 2010|publisher = GigaOM OStatic blog|access-date = March 19, 2013|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110317053629/http://ostatic.com/blog/duckduckgo-a-new-search-engine-built-from-open-source|archive-date = March 17, 2011}}{{cite web|url = http://help.duckduckgo.com/customer/portal/articles/216392-architecture|title = Architecture|date = January 28, 2013|publisher = DuckDuckGo.com|access-date = June 11, 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130512115451/http://help.duckduckgo.com/customer/portal/articles/216392-architecture |archive-date=May 12, 2013 |url-status=dead}} DuckDuckGo is built primarily upon search APIs from various vendors. Because of this, TechCrunch characterized the service as a "hybrid" search engine.{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2008/12/12/elevator-pitch-friday-duck-duck-go-the-hybrid-search-engine/|title=Elevator Pitch Friday: Duck Duck Go, the Hybrid Search Engine|last=Kimerling|first=Dan|date=December 12, 2008|website=TechCrunch|access-date=March 19, 2013}}{{cite web|url=https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1217495|title=Duck Duck Go is starting to get coverage (thread: see remarks by Weinberg)|author=((Gabriel Weinberg (as epi0Bauqu)))|date=March 25, 2010|publisher=YCombinator Hacker News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727204549/http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1217495 |archive-date=July 27, 2011 |url-status=dead|access-date=March 19, 2013}} Weinberg explained the beginnings of the name with respect to the children's game duck, duck, goose. He said of the origin of the name: "Really it just popped in my head one day and I just liked it. It is certainly influenced/derived from duck duck goose, but other than that there is no relation, e.g., a metaphor."{{cite web|url=https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=652015|title=How Often our Anti-spam Search Toolbar Blocks Sites (thread)|author=((Gabriel Weinberg (as epi0Bauqu)))|date=June 11, 2009 |publisher=YCombinator Hacker News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614090623/http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=652015 |archive-date=June 14, 2009 |url-status=dead|access-date=March 19, 2013}} DuckDuckGo was featured on TechCrunch's Elevator Pitch Friday in 2008, and it was a finalist in the 2008 BOSS Mashable Challenge.{{cite news|url=https://mashable.com/2008/10/07/voting-boss-mashable-challenge/#wP0JdJJ01Zqb |title=Voting Round for the BOSS Mashable Challenge |last=Hirsch|first=Adam |date=October 7, 2008 |access-date=March 19, 2013 |publisher=Mashable}}
In 2010, DuckDuckGo began using privacy to differentiate itself from its competitors.{{Cite web |last=Morrison |first=Sara |date=2022-03-16 |title=The free speech search engine that never was |url=https://www.vox.com/recode/22981115/duckduckgo-free-speech-privacy-oops |access-date=2022-03-19 |website=Vox |language=en}}
In July 2010, Weinberg started a DuckDuckGo community website (duck.co) to allow the public to report problems, discuss means of spreading the use of the search engine, request features, and discuss open sourcing the code.{{cite web|url=https://duck.co/|title=duck.co – The DuckDuckGo Community|last=Weinberg|first=Gabriel|date=July 2010|access-date=July 21, 2010}} The company registered the domain name ddg.gg on February 22, 2011,{{Cite web|title=Ddg.gg WHOIS, DNS, & Domain Info – DomainTools|url=https://whois.domaintools.com/ddg.gg|access-date=April 13, 2019|website=whois.domaintools.com}} and acquired duck.com in December 2018,{{Cite web|title=Confirmed: Duck.com Transfers to DuckDuckGo|url=https://www.namepros.com/blog/confirmed-duck-com-transfers-to-duckduckgo.1113728/|website=NamePros}}{{cite web |url=https://duck.com/ |title=DuckDuckGo — Privacy, simplified |website=duck.com |access-date=11 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181211075958/https://duck.com/ |archive-date=11 December 2018 |url-status=dead}} which are used as shortened URL aliases that redirect to duckduckgo.com, and is also used as the domain for their email protection service.{{Cite magazine |last=Nield |first=David |title=How to Use DuckDuckGo's Privacy-First Email Service |language=en-US |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-use-duckduckgo-privacy-first-email/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |issn=1059-1028}}{{Cite web |last=Brookes |first=Tim |date=2022-09-02 |title=How (and Why) to Use DuckDuckGo's @Duck.com Email Protection |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/829693/how-to-use-duckduckgos-duck-dot-com-email-protection/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=How-To Geek |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2021-07-21 |title=How to get a @Duck email address |url=https://windowsreport.com/how-to-get-a-duck-email-address/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Windows Report – Error-free Tech Life |language=en-US}}
= Growth in the 2010s =
{{Quote box
|quote = We didn't invest in it because we thought it would beat Google. We invested in it because there is a need for a private search engine. We did it for the Internet anarchists, people that hang out on Reddit and Hacker News.
|source = — Fred Wilson, 2012 TechCrunch Disrupt Conference in New York{{cite news|last=Ludwig|first=Sean|title=Fred Wilson: We invested in DuckDuckGo for the Reddit, Hacker News anarchists|url=https://venturebeat.com/2012/05/21/fred-wilson-duckduckgo-reddit-hacker-news/|newspaper=VentureBeat|date=May 21, 2012|access-date=January 29, 2013}}
|width = 30%
|align= right
}}
By May 2012, the search engine was attracting 1.5 million searches a day. Weinberg reported that it had earned {{US$|115000}} in revenue in 2011 and had three employees, plus a small number of contractors.{{cite news|url = https://arstechnica.com/business/2012/05/private-the-search-engines-that-make-money-by-not-tracking-users/ |title = Private: some search engines make money by not tracking users |last=Farivar |first=Cyrus |date=May 16, 2012 |work=Ars Technica |access-date = May 14, 2012}} Compete.com estimated 266,465 unique visitors to the site in February 2012.{{Cite web|url=http://siteanalytics.compete.com/duckduckgo.com/?metric=uv |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324100607/http://siteanalytics.compete.com/duckduckgo.com/?metric=uv |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 24, 2012 |title=duckduckgo.com 266,465.0 UVs for February 2012 {{!}} Compete |date=March 24, 2012 |access-date=November 12, 2018}} On April 12, 2011, Alexa reported a 3-month growth rate of 51%.{{cite web |url=http://alexa.com/siteinfo/duckduckgo.com |title=DuckDuckGo Analytics Profile |publisher=Alexa.com |access-date=June 11, 2009 |archive-date=July 23, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723093737/http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/duckduckgo.com |url-status=dead }} DuckDuckGo's own traffic statistics show that in August 2012 there were 1,393,644 visits per day, up from an average of 39,406 visits per day in April 2010 (the earliest data available).{{cite web |url=http://duckduckgo.com/traffic.html|title=DuckDuckGo Official traffic}} In a lengthy profile in November 2012, The Washington Post indicated that searches on DuckDuckGo numbered up to 45,000,000 per month in October 2012. The article concluded:
"Weinberg's non-ambitious goals make him a particularly odd and dangerous competitor online. He can do almost everything that Google or Bing can't because it could damage their business models, and if users figure out that they like the DuckDuckGo way better, Weinberg could damage the big boys without even really trying. It's asymmetrical digital warfare, and his backers at Union Square Ventures say Google is vulnerable."
GNOME released Web 3.10 on September 26, 2013, and starting with this version, the default search engine is DuckDuckGo.{{cite news|url=https://people.gnome.org/~csaavedra/news-2013-08.html#D27|title=Claudio Saavedra's ChangeLog|date=August 27, 2013}}{{cite web|url=https://mail.gnome.org/archives/devel-announce-list/2013-September/msg00003.html |title=GNOME 3.10 Released |first=Matthias|last=Clasen |date=September 26, 2013 |publisher=GNOME mailing list |access-date=September 26, 2013}}
At its keynote speech at WWDC 2014 on September 18, 2014, Apple announced that DuckDuckGo would be included as an option for search on both iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite in its Safari browser.{{cite web|url=https://searchengineland.com/big-win-duckduckgo-apple-adding-safari-private-search-option-193081|title=Big Win For DuckDuckGo: Apple Adding To Safari As Private Search Option|last=Schwartz|first=Barry|date=June 2, 2014|website=Search Engine Land|access-date=September 30, 2014}}{{cite web |url=https://www.apple.com/osx/preview/apps/ |title=Apple – OS X Yosemite – Apps |access-date=September 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140926170225/http://www.apple.com/osx/preview/apps/ |archive-date=September 26, 2014 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.in/Apple-Is-Getting-Serious-About-Search-But-It-Doesnt-Want-Googles-Help/articleshow/36007303.cms |title=DuckDuckGo In Apple OS |last=Dickey|first=Megan Rose |date=June 3, 2014 |publisher=BusinessInsider |access-date=June 6, 2014}} On March 10, the Pale Moon web browser, starting with version 24.4.0, included DuckDuckGo as its default search engine, as well as listed it on the browser's homepage.{{cite web|title=Pale Moon 24.4.0 Release Notes|url=https://www.palemoon.org/releasenotes-archived.shtml |website=Pale Moon |publisher=Moonchild Productions |access-date=June 4, 2015}} In May 2014, DuckDuckGo released a redesigned version to beta testers through DuckDuckHack.{{cite web|url=https://next.duckduckgo.com/ |title=DuckDuckGo |publisher=Next.duckduckgo.com |access-date=May 11, 2014}} On May 21, 2014, DuckDuckGo officially released the redesigned version that focused on smarter answers and a more refined look. The new version added many new features such as images, local search, auto-suggest, weather, recipes, and more.{{cite web |url=https://duck.co/blog/post/84/whatsnew |title=DuckDuckGo Reimagined & Redesigned |access-date=June 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407113925/https://duck.co/blog/post/84/whatsnew |archive-date=April 7, 2019 |url-status=dead }}
On November 10, 2014, Mozilla added DuckDuckGo as a search option to Firefox 33.1.{{cite web|url=https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/33.1/releasenotes/|title=Firefox Notes|date=November 10, 2014|website=Mozilla.org|access-date=November 11, 2014}} On May 30, 2016, The Tor Project, Inc made DuckDuckGo the default search engine for Tor Browser 6.0.{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/31/tor-switches-to-duckduckgo-search-results-by-default/|title=Tor switches to DuckDuckGo search results by default|last=Lomas|first=Natasha|date=May 31, 2016|website=TechCrunch|access-date=September 25, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.searchenginejournal.com/duckduckgo-becomes-default-search-provider-tor-browser/165098/|title=DuckDuckGo Becomes Default Search Provider for Tor Browser|last=Southern|first=Matt|date=June 1, 2016|website=Search Engine Journal|access-date=September 25, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://blog.torproject.org/tor-browser-60-released|title=Tor Browser 6.0 is released|date=May 30, 2016|website=Tor Project Blog|access-date=September 25, 2017}}
In July 2016, DuckDuckGo officially announced the extension of its partnership with Yahoo! that brought new features to all users of the search engine, including date filtering of results and additional site links. It also partners with Bing, Yandex, and Wikipedia to produce results or make use of features offered. The company also confirmed that it does not share user information with partner companies, as has always been its policy.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ghacks.net/2016/07/01/duckduckgo-yahoo-partnership/|title=DuckDuckGo extends Yahoo partnership|last=Brinkmann|first=Martin|date=July 1, 2016|website=gHacks}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/duckduckgo/comments/4lgda4/duckduckgo_is_using_yahoo_for_searches_now/ |title=DuckDuckGo is using yahoo for searches now.|date=May 28, 2016}}
In December 2018, it was reported that Google transferred ownership of the domain name Duck.com to DuckDuckGo. It is not known what price, if any, DuckDuckGo paid for the domain name.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/12/18137369/duckduckgo-duck-com-google-acquisition |title=Google relents and transfers Duck.com to DuckDuckGo|last=Porter|first=Jon|date=December 12, 2018|work=The Verge|access-date=December 12, 2018}}
On January 15, 2019, DuckDuckGo announced that all map and address-related searches would be powered by Apple Maps, both on desktop and mobile devices.{{Cite web|url=https://spreadprivacy.com/duckduckgo-apple-mapkit-js/|title=DuckDuckGo Taps Apple Maps to Power Private Search Results|date=January 15, 2019 |website=Spread Privacy - DuckDuckGo Blog |access-date=January 16, 2019}}
In March 2019, Google added DuckDuckGo to the default search engine list in Chrome 73.{{cite web |last1=Zhou |first1=Marrian |title=DuckDuckGo is now a default search engine option in Chrome |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/duckduckgo-is-now-a-default-search-engine-option-in-chrome/ |website=CNET |access-date=March 16, 2019 |date=March 14, 2019}}
Beginning in 2018,{{cite web |title=2018 in Review |date=January 28, 2019 |url=https://spreadprivacy.com/duckduckgo-2018-in-review/ |publisher=DuckDuckGo |access-date=9 March 2024}} the company has offered browser extensions for popular web browsers (Google Chrome, Safari, and others). The company also launched its own web browser, called the DuckDuckGo Private Browser. Both of these products have protections against web tracking and other privacy intrusions for all web browsing (not limited to DuckDuckGo searches).{{cite web |title=DuckDuckGo Web Browsing Privacy |url=https://duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/web-browsing-privacy/ |website=duckduckgo.com |access-date=9 March 2024}} Prior to August 2022, DuckDuckGo Private Browser did not block Microsoft tracking scripts.{{Cite web |title=DuckDuckGo browser allows Microsoft trackers due to search agreement |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/duckduckgo-browser-allows-microsoft-trackers-due-to-search-agreement/ |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=BleepingComputer |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |last=Adorno |first=José |date=2022-05-25 |title=DuckDuckGo caught giving Microsoft permission for trackers despite strong privacy reputation |url=https://9to5mac.com/2022/05/25/duckduckgo-privacy-microsoft-permission-tracking/ |access-date=2022-05-25 |website=9to5Mac |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=After Pushback, DuckDuckGo's Browser Will Block Microsoft Trackers |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/duckduckgos-browser-wont-block-microsofts-trackers |access-date=2023-05-21 |website=PCMAG |date=August 8, 2022 |language=en}}
= 2020s =
In July 2021, DuckDuckGo introduced its email forwarding feature Email Protection, which lets users claim an "@duck.com" email address generated by the service. That inbox will receive emails and strip them of data trackers before forwarding them to the user's private email address. The feature launched in beta for users of DuckDuckGo Private Browser on iOS and Android.{{cite web |last=Gershgorn |first=Dave |title=DuckDuckGo launches new Email Protection service to remove trackers |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/20/22576352/duckduckgo-email-protection-privacy-trackers-apple-alternative |website=The Verge |access-date=July 20, 2021 |date=July 20, 2021}}
{{As of |2022 |03}}, DuckDuckGo handled 102,704,358 daily searches on average.{{Cite web |title=DuckDuckGo Traffic |website=DuckDuckGo |language=en-US |url=https://duckduckgo.com/traffic |access-date=16 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725042057/https://duckduckgo.com/traffic |archive-date=25 July 2022 |url-status=dead}}
Also in April, DuckDuckGo said that they would protect users from being tracked by Google's Accelerated Mobile Pages framework, stating: "When you load or share a Google AMP page anywhere from DuckDuckGo apps (iOS/Android/Mac) or extensions (Firefox/Chrome), the original publisher's webpage will be used in place of the Google AMP version".{{Cite web |last=Lyons |first=Kim |date=2022-04-20 |title=DuckDuckGo's browsers and extensions now protect against AMP tracking |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/20/23033522/duckduckgo-browsers-extensions-amp-google-tracking-privacy |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=The Verge |language=en}}
In September 2022, Debian package maintainers switched the default search engine in Chromium to DuckDuckGo for privacy reasons.{{cite web |last1=Sharma |first1=Anuj |title=Debian Linux is Replacing Google With DuckDuckGo as the Default Search Engine for Chromium |url=https://news.itsfoss.com/debian-duckduckgo-default-chromium/ |website=It's FOSS News |date=August 28, 2022 |access-date=25 March 2023}}
In April 2024, DuckDuckGo introduced Privacy Pro, a paid subscription that includes a VPN, Personal Information Removal, and Identity Theft Restoration.{{Cite magazine |last=Burgess |first=Matt |title=DuckDuckGo Is Taking Its Privacy Fight to Data Brokers |url=https://www.wired.com/story/duckduckgo-vpn-data-removal-tool-privacy-pro/ |access-date=2024-06-22 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}} The subscription launched to users of the DuckDuckGo browser in the United States.
Features
=Privacy=
DuckDuckGo does not track its users.{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/duckduckgo/duckduckgo-help-pages/blob/29642f2e966299f9240f0dd73bfbf95e86dc7a64/_docs/privacy/content-security-policy-reports.md?plain=1#L2|title=duckduckgo-help-pages/_docs/privacy/content-security-policy-reports.md at 29642f2e966299f9240f0dd73bfbf95e86dc7a64 · duckduckgo/duckduckgo-help-pages|website=GitHub}}{{Cite web|url=https://duckduckgo.com/privacy|title=DuckDuckGo Privacy Policy|website=DuckDuckGo}} DuckDuckGo keeps favicons anonymous.{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/duckduckgo/duckduckgo-help-pages/blob/29642f2e966299f9240f0dd73bfbf95e86dc7a64/_docs/privacy/favicons.md|title=duckduckgo-help-pages/_docs/privacy/favicons.md at 29642f2e966299f9240f0dd73bfbf95e86dc7a64 · duckduckgo/duckduckgo-help-pages|website=GitHub}} Users' location is never sent to DuckDuckGo servers, even when they allow a third party to collect their geolocations.{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/duckduckgo/duckduckgo-help-pages/blob/29642f2e966299f9240f0dd73bfbf95e86dc7a64/_docs/privacy/device-location-services.md|title=duckduckgo-help-pages/_docs/privacy/device-location-services.md at 29642f2e966299f9240f0dd73bfbf95e86dc7a64 · duckduckgo/duckduckgo-help-pages|website=GitHub}} DuckDuckGo offers limited third-party tracking protection, third-party cookie protection, CNAME cloaking protection, limited device fingerprint protection from third parties, link tracking removal, Google AMP replacement, and do-not-track requests.{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/duckduckgo/duckduckgo-help-pages/blob/29642f2e966299f9240f0dd73bfbf95e86dc7a64/_docs/privacy/web-tracking-protections.md#3rd-party-tracker-loading-protection|title=duckduckgo-help-pages/_docs/privacy/web-tracking-protections.md at 29642f2e966299f9240f0dd73bfbf95e86dc7a64 · duckduckgo/duckduckgo-help-pages|website=GitHub}}
=Search results=
DuckDuckGo's results are a compilation of "over 400" sources according to itself, including Bing, Yahoo! Search BOSS, Wolfram Alpha, Yandex, and its own web crawler (the DuckDuckBot); but none from Google.{{cite news |date=July 22, 2018 |title=Sources {{!}} DuckDuckGo Help Pages |work=DuckDuckGo Support Center |url=https://help.duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/results/sources/ |access-date=July 22, 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://blog.wolframalpha.com/2011/04/18/wolframalpha-and-duckduckgo-partner-on-api-binding-and-search-integration/ |title=Wolfram Alpha and DuckDuckGo Partner on API Binding and Search Integration |date=April 18, 2011 |website=WolframAlpha blog}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-vs-duckduckgo/301997/|title=DuckDuckGo vs. Google: An In-Depth Search Engine Comparison |last=Hollingsworth |first=Sam |date=April 12, 2019 |website=Search Engine Journal |access-date=April 12, 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Thomson |first1=Stewart A. |date=11 Mar 2022 |title=The far right complains after the search engine DuckDuckGo vows to limit Russian propaganda. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/11/technology/duckduckgo-russia-disinformation.html |access-date=13 Mar 2022 |work=The New York Times}} It also uses data from crowdsourced sites such as Wikipedia, to populate knowledge panel boxes to the right of the search results.{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2014/06/11/duckduckgo-yummly-team-up-so-you-can-search-food-porn-in-private/|title=DuckDuckGo & Yummly team up so you can search food porn in private|last=Reader|first=Ruth|date=June 11, 2014|website=VentureBeat|access-date=June 11, 2014}}
DuckDuckGo offers a Lite version of its search for browsers without JavaScript capabilities.{{Cite web|url=https://help.duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/privacy/no-tracking/|title=Does DuckDuckGo Search track you?|website=DuckDuckGo Help Pages}}
DuckDuckGo has refined the quality of its search engine results by deleting search results for companies they believe are content mills, such as eHow, which publishes 4,000 articles per day produced by paid freelance writers, which Weinberg states to be "low-quality content designed specifically to rank highly in Google's search index". DuckDuckGo also filters pages with substantial advertising.{{cite web|url= https://www.technologyreview.com/2010/07/26/26327/the-search-engine-backlash-against-content-mills/ |title=The Search Engine Backlash Against 'Content Mills'|last=Mims |first=Christopher |date=July 26, 2010 |work=Technology Review|access-date=March 19, 2013}} DuckDuckGo down ranks websites deemed to have low journalistic standards.{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/duckduckgo/duckduckgo-help-pages/blob/29642f2e966299f9240f0dd73bfbf95e86dc7a64/_docs/results/news-rankings.md?plain=1#L37|title=duckduckgo-help-pages/_docs/results/news-rankings.md at 29642f2e966299f9240f0dd73bfbf95e86dc7a64 · duckduckgo/duckduckgo-help-pages|website=GitHub}}
=Instant Answers=
In addition to the indexed search results, DuckDuckGo displays relevant results, called instant answers, on top of the search page. These Instant Answers are collected from either third party APIs or static data sources like text files. The Instant Answers are called zeroclickinfo because the intention behind these is to provide what users are searching for on the search result page itself so that they do not have to click any results to find what they are looking for. Instant answers are created by and maintained by a community of over 1,500 open source contributors. This community has come to be known as DuckDuckHack.{{Cite web|title=DuckDuckHack |url=https://duckduckhack.com/ |access-date=October 29, 2020 |website=DuckDuckHack|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003005208/https://duckduckhack.com/|archive-date=2022-10-03}} {{As of|July 2019}}, there were 1,236 Instant Answers active.{{cite web |url=https://duck.co/ia |title=DuckDuckGo Instant Answers |access-date=July 7, 2019}}
In the DuckDuckHack documentation, four types of Instant Answers are described: Goodies, Spices, Fatheads, and Longtails. These types of Instant Answer extensions are differentiated by how their data is retrieved. Goodies do not retrieve data from a third party API, whereas Spices do. Goodies instead use some form of the aforementioned static data sources, such as text files or JSON files. Fathead Instant Answers are key-value answers hosted on DuckDuckGo's backend. Fathead key-value pairs function similarly to a trigger for showing the respective Instant Answer. Longtail Instant Answers are full text queries to a DuckDuckGo database of articles. Paragraphs or snippets from any matching articles are returned, and the section that matches the user's query is highlighted.{{Cite web|title=What Type of Instant Answer |url=https://duckduckhack.gitbook.io/duckduckhack-docs/determining-ia-type |access-date=October 29, 2020 |website=DuckDuckHack Docs}}
In March 2023, DuckDuckGo added DuckAssist to Instant Answers. Using large language models from OpenAI and Anthropic, DuckAssist generates answers to users' questions by scanning online encyclopedias (like Wikipedia and Britannica).{{cite web |last1=McAuliffe |first1=Zachary |title=Meet DuckAssist, DuckDuckGo's New AI Feature |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/meet-duckassist-duckduckgos-new-ai-feature/ |website=CNET |date=8 March 2023 |access-date=8 March 2023}}{{Cite web |last=Gold |first=Jon |date=March 8, 2023 |title=DuckDuckGo debuts AI-based search using OpenAI and Anthropic language models |url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/3690308/duckduckgo-debuts-ai-based-search-using-openai-and-anthropic-language-models.html |access-date=March 9, 2023 |website=Computerworld}}
={{anchor|The onion service}}Tor access=
In August 2010, DuckDuckGo introduced anonymous searching, including an exit enclave,{{cite magazine |last1=Burgess |first1=Matt |title=DuckDuckGo: what is it and how does it work? |magazine=Wired UK |date=February 1, 2017 |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/duckduckgo-anonymous-privacy |access-date=February 24, 2021 |issn=1357-0978 |quote=DuckDuckGo operates a so-called Tor exit enclave, which means you can get end-to-end anonymous and encrypted searching.}} for its search engine traffic using Tor network and enabling access through a "Tor hidden service" (onion service).{{cite web |title=No Tracking |url=https://help.duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/privacy/no-tracking/ |website=DuckDuckGo Help Pages |access-date=February 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122152954/https://help.duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/privacy/no-tracking/ |archive-date=January 22, 2021 |date=January 22, 2021 |quote=DuckDuckGo does not store any personal information, e.g. IP addresses or user agents: see our privacy policy for details. In addition to our default version, we also offer two non-JavaScript versions (HTML & lite), a Tor hidden service, several privacy settings (including POST & RefControl), and we allow you to use URL parameters instead of cookies for our Cloud Save feature to store settings.}} {{Onion URL|3g2upl4pq6kufc4m}}{{cite web |title=duckduckgo tor |url=https://html.duckduckgo.com/html?q=duckduckgo+tor |website=html.duckduckgo.com |access-date=March 11, 2021}}{{Cite tweet|number=1032178047405973505|user=DuckDuckGo|title=Hi there. Yes, our onion address is: 3g2upl4pq6kufc4m.onion For verification, you can also search for "duckduckgo onion" or "duckduckgo tor" and a direct link will be shown, e.g.: duckduckgo.com/?q=duckduckgo+tor&ia=answer|date=August 22, 2018 |access-date=March 11, 2021 |language=en}}(deprecated) was the DuckDuckGo v2 onion service on Tor.{{cite web |title=https-everywhere 3g2upl4pq6kufc4m.onion ruleset |url=https://github.com/EFForg/https-everywhere/blob/master/src/chrome/content/rules/3g2upl4pq6kufc4m.onion.xml |website=EFForg |publisher=GitHub |access-date=February 24, 2021 |language=en |quote=This ruleset covers DuckDuckGo Onion service on Tor}}{{cite news |title=DuckDuckGo |url=https://www.deeponionweb.com/duckduckgo/ |website=DeepOnionWeb |access-date=February 24, 2021 |date=February 2, 2019}}{{cite web |title=Tor Exit Enclave |url=https://help.duckduckgo.com/privacy/tor-exit-enclave/ |website=DuckDuckGo Help Pages |access-date=February 24, 2021 |quote=DuckDuckGo operates its own Tor exit enclave.}} This allows anonymity by routing traffic through a series of encrypted relays. Weinberg stated: "I believe this fits right in line with our privacy policy. Using Tor and DDG, you can now be end to end anonymous with your searching. And if you use our encrypted homepage, you can be end to end encrypted as well."{{Cite web |url= http://www.gabrielweinberg.com/blog/2010/08/duckduckgo-now-operates-a-tor-exit-enclave.html |title=DuckDuckGo now operates a Tor exit enclave |date=August 13, 2010 |website=Gabriel Weinberg's Blog |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101231132520/http://www.gabrielweinberg.com/blog/2010/08/duckduckgo-now-operates-a-tor-exit-enclave.html |archive-date=December 31, 2010}}
In July 2021, DuckDuckGo introduced a new v3 onion service, with a new link: {{Onion URL|duckduckgogg42xjoc72x3sjasowoarfbgcmvfimaftt6twagswzczad}}.{{Cite tweet|title=If you use Tor, know that DuckDuckGo Search has a new v3 address|user=DuckDuckGo|number=1412045351880626179|access-date=July 16, 2021}}
=Bangs=
DuckDuckGo includes "!Bang" keywords, which give users the ability to search on specific third-party websites – using the site's own search engine if applicable. As of August 2020, 13,564 "bangs" for a diverse range of internet sites are available.{{cite web |url=https://duckduckgo.com/bang.html |title=!Bang |website=DuckDuckGo |access-date=August 23, 2020}} In December 2018, around 2,000 "bangs" were deleted. Some of them were deleted due to being broken, while others, such as searches of pirated content sites, were deleted for liability reasons.{{cite web |url=https://torrentfreak.com/duckduckgo-removes-pirate-site-bangs-to-avoid-liability-181203 |title=DuckDuckGo Removes 'Pirate' Site Bangs to Avoid Liability |last=Van der Sar|first=Ernesto|date=December 3, 2018 |publisher=TorrentFreak |access-date=December 4, 2018}}
Business model
DuckDuckGo earns revenue by serving ads primarily from the Yahoo-Bing search alliance network.{{Cite web|url=https://help.duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/company/advertising-and-affiliates/|title=Advertising and Affiliates|website=DuckDuckGo Help Pages|access-date=April 22, 2023}} As a privacy-focused search engine, the ads served on DuckDuckGo are based on keywords and terms of the search query.{{Cite web |title=Advertising and Affiliates|url=https://help.duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/company/advertising-and-affiliates/|access-date=2021-05-11 |website=DuckDuckGo Help Pages}}{{cite magazine |magazine=Wired |date=14 May 2021 |last=Thompson |first=Clive |title=Tech Companies Don't Need to Be Creepy to Make Money |url=https://www.wired.com/story/tech-companies-dont-need-to-be-creepy-to-make-money/ |access-date=19 January 2024}} As of April 2024, DuckDuckGo also makes money from subscription fees paid to access Privacy Pro.
= Donations =
The company supports charitable organizations that work to improve privacy; in 2021 they donated US$1 million to these causes and had donated $3,650,000 over the previous decade. Major donations for 2021 included $200,000 to the Center for Information Technology Policy, $150,000 to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, $75,000 to European Digital Rights (EDRi) and $75,000 to The Markup.{{cite web|url= https://spreadprivacy.com/2021-duckduckgo-donations/|title= 2021 DuckDuckGo Charitable Donations: $1,000,000 to Privacy and Competition Organizations Around the World|access-date= 30 September 2021 |website=Spread Privacy - DuckDuckGo Blog |date= 27 September 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210930131512/https://spreadprivacy.com/2021-duckduckgo-donations/|archive-date= 30 September 2021|url-status= live}}
Source code
Some of DuckDuckGo's source code is free and open-source software hosted at GitHub under the Apache 2.0 License,{{cite web |title=DuckDuckGo |url=https://github.com/duckduckgo |website=GitHub |access-date=October 28, 2020}} but the core is proprietary.{{Cite web|last=DuckDuckGo|title=Open Source|url=https://help.duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/community/open-source/|access-date=October 29, 2020|website=DuckDuckGo Help Pages|archive-date=July 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729181417/https://help.duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/community/open-source/|url-status=dead}} DuckDuckGo also hosted DuckDuckHack, a sister site for organizing open source contributions and community projects. The search engine's Instant Answers are open source{{cite web|title=DuckDuckGo repositories on GitHub|url=https://github.com/duckduckgo/|access-date=July 7, 2019|website=GitHub}} and are maintained on GitHub, where anyone can view the source code. As of August 31, 2017, DuckDuckHack was placed on maintenance mode; as such, only pull requests for bug fixes will be approved.{{Update inline|date=December 2024|reason=The date mentioned in this sentence was more than 7 years ago as of the date this template was added.}}
Reception
In a June 2011 article, Harry McCracken of Time commended DuckDuckGo, comparing it to his favorite hamburger restaurant, In-N-Out Burger:
{{blockquote|It feels a lot like early Google, with a stripped-down home page. Just as In-N-Out doesn't have lattes or Asian salads or sundaes or scrambled eggs, DDG doesn't try to do news or blogs or books or images. There's no auto-completion or instant results. It just offers core Web search—mostly the "ten blue links" approach that's still really useful, no matter what its critics say ... As for the quality, I'm not saying that Weinberg has figured out a way to return more relevant results than Google's mighty search team. But DuckDuckGo ... is really good at bringing back useful sites. It all feels meaty and straightforward and filler-free ...{{Cite magazine|url=https://techland.time.com/2011/06/16/duck-duck-go-the-in-n-out-burger-of-search-engines/#ixzz1PXPmPOeK|title=Duck Duck Go, the In-N-Out Burger of Search Engines|last=McCracken|first=Harry|date=June 14, 2011|magazine=Time|access-date=March 19, 2013}}|sign=|source=}} The bare-bones approach cited in his quote has since changed; for instance, DuckDuckGo now has auto-completion, instant results, and a news tab. McCracken included the site in Time{{'}}s list of "50 Best Websites of 2011."{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2087815_2088176_2088178,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110817025809/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2087815_2088176_2088178,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 17, 2011|title=DuckDuckGo – The 50 Best Websites of 2011|magazine=Time|last=McCracken|first=Harry|date=August 16, 2011|access-date=March 19, 2013}}
Thom Holwerda, who reviewed the search engine for OSNews, praised its privacy features and shortcuts to site-specific searches as well as criticizing Google for "tracking pretty much everything you do", particularly because of the risk of such information being subject to a U.S. government subpoena.{{Cite news|url=http://www.osnews.com/story/24867/DuckDuckGo_The_Privacy-centric_Alternative_to_Google|title=DuckDuckGo: The Privacy-centric Alternative to Google|date=June 21, 2011|last=Holwerda|first=Thom|publisher=OSNews|access-date=March 19, 2013}} In 2012, in response to accusations that it was a monopoly, Google identified DuckDuckGo as a competitor. Weinberg was reportedly "pleased and entertained" by that acknowledgment.
In November 2019, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey revealed his preference for using the DuckDuckGo search engine rather than Google, stating, "I love @DuckDuckGo. My default search engine for a while now. The app is even better!".{{Cite tweet |author=Jack Dorsey |user=jack |number=1199783221162053633 |date=November 27, 2019 |title=I love @DuckDuckGo . My default search engine for a while now. The app is even better! |access-date=December 21, 2020}} Conservative political commentators Ben Shapiro and Dan Bongino have also endorsed DuckDuckGo.{{Cite news |last=Thompson |first=Stuart A. |date=2022-02-23 |title=Fed Up With Google, Conspiracy Theorists Turn to DuckDuckGo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/23/technology/duckduckgo-conspiracy-theories.html |access-date=2022-03-05 |issn=0362-4331}}
Controversies
On March 1, 2022, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, DuckDuckGo paused its partnership with Yandex Search.{{Cite web |last=Brody |first=Ben |date=1 March 2022 |title=DuckDuckGo pauses its relationship with Russian search engine Yandex |url=https://www.protocol.com/bulletins/duckduckgo-yandex-ukraine |access-date=3 March 2022 |website=Protocol |language=en}} Weinberg said in a tweet that DuckDuckGo will down-rank sites associated with Russian disinformation, a move which some users criticized as censorship and a violation of the search engine's commitment to "unbiased search." DuckDuckGo has defended itself from the criticism, saying that "The primary utility of a search engine is to provide access to accurate information. Disinformation sites that deliberately put out false information to intentionally mislead people directly cut against that utility."{{Cite tweet |number=1501716484761997318 |user=yegg |title=[...] #StandWithUkraine️ At DuckDuckGo, we've been rolling out search updates that down-rank sites associated with Russian disinformation (1/4) |author=Gabriel Weinberg}}{{cite web |last=Kan |first=Michael |date=March 10, 2022 |title=DuckDuckGo to Down-Rank Sites Associated With Russian Disinformation |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/duckduckgo-to-down-rank-sites-associated-with-russian-disinformation |access-date=March 11, 2022 |website=PCMag |publisher=}}
In April 2022, TorrentFreak reported that DuckDuckGo had blocked search results for some major pirating websites, including The Pirate Bay, 1337x and FMovies, as well as video downloading software Youtube-dl.{{Cite web |title=DuckDuckGo 'Removes' Pirate Sites and YouTube-DL from Its Search Results (Updated) * TorrentFreak |url=https://torrentfreak.com/duckduckgo-removes-pirate-sites-and-youtube-dl-from-its-search-results-220415/ |access-date=2023-05-23 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Fingas |first=Jon |date=2022-04-15 |title=DuckDuckGo reportedly removes search results for major pirate websites (updated) |url=https://www.engadget.com/duckduckgo-removes-pirate-sites-204936242.html |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=Engadget |language=en-US}} In a statement to Engadget, DuckDuckGo said that The Pirate Bay and Youtube-dl were never removed from its search results if the user searched for those websites using their name or web address. DuckDuckGo also said that there were problems with "site:" search queries used for these websites and other searches and said that the problem had been fixed.
In May 2022, a report from Bleeping Computer by security researcher Zach Edwards found that DuckDuckGo Private Browser allowed Microsoft's trackers to continue running while visiting non-DuckDuckGo websites, unlike Google and Facebook trackers, which were blocked. In response, Weinberg said that "unfortunately, our Microsoft search syndication agreement prevents us from doing more to Microsoft-owned properties. However, we have been continually pushing and expect to be doing more soon." He also said given that most browsers "don't even attempt" to block third-party scripts from loading, users would still be safer than on other browsers. In August 2022, DuckDuckGo began blocking Microsoft's trackers, saying that the policy preventing them from doing so no longer applied.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-05 |title=Web Tracking Protection: DuckDuckGo's Privacy Promise |url=https://spreadprivacy.com/more-privacy-and-transparency/ |access-date=2023-05-21 |website=Spread Privacy |language=en}} Today, DuckDuckGo continues to open articles through MSN, similar to how Google utilizes AMP.
In December 2024, DuckDuckGo criticized Google's proposed remedies in an antitrust case related to search engine monopolies. According to DuckDuckGo, the proposal maintains the existing balance of power rather than fostering genuine competition. Gabriel Weinberg, CEO of DuckDuckGo, stated that the proposed measures "attempt to maintain the status quo" and are insufficient to grant smaller players fair access to markets.{{Cite news|url=https://www.mlex.com/mlex/articles/2277183/duckduckgo-says-google-remedy-proposal-in-search-monopoly-suit-attempts-to-maintain-status-quo|title=DuckDuckGo says Google remedy proposal in search monopoly suit attempts to maintain status quo|work=MLex|date=December 21, 2024|access-date=December 24, 2024}}
Traffic
File:DuckDuckGo Daily Traffic 2010-2020.png
In June 2013, DuckDuckGo indicated that it had seen a significant traffic increase; according to the company's Twitter account, on Monday, June 17, 2013, it had three million daily direct searches. On average during May 2013, it had 1.8 million daily direct searches. Some{{Cite news|url = http://libertyblitzkrieg.com/2013/07/10/search-engine-duck-duck-go-experiences-traffic-surge-in-wake-of-nsa-scandal/|title = Search Engine "Duck Duck Go" Experiences Traffic Surge in Wake of NSA Scandal|last = Krieger|first = Michael|date = July 10, 2013 |work = Liberty Blitzkrieg |access-date=March 7, 2015}} relate this claim to the exposure of PRISM and to the fact that other programs operated by the National Security Agency (NSA) were leaked by Edward Snowden. Danny Sullivan wrote on Search Engine Land that despite the search engine's growth "it's not grown anywhere near the amount to reflect any substantial or even mildly notable switching by the searching public" for reasons due to privacy, and he concluded "No One Cares About "Private" Search".{{cite web|author=Sullivan, Danny|url=http://searchengineland.com/duck-duck-go-prism-private-search-164333|title=Duck Duck Go's Post-PRISM Growth Actually Proves No One Cares About "Private" Search|publisher=Search Engine Land|date=June 22, 2013|access-date=July 10, 2013}} In response, Caleb Garling of the San Francisco Chronicle argued: "I think this thesis suffers from a few key failures in logic" because there had been an increase in traffic and because there was a lack of widespread awareness of the existence of DuckDuckGo.{{cite news |author=Garling, Caleb |url=http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2013/06/24/huge-traffic-spike-hits-private-search-engines-after-nsa-leaks/ |title=Huge traffic spike hits 'private' search engines after NSA leaks |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=June 24, 2013 |access-date=July 10, 2013 |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029204648/http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2013/06/24/huge-traffic-spike-hits-private-search-engines-after-nsa-leaks/ |url-status=dead }}
In September 2013, the search engine hit 4 million searches per day{{cite web|url=http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/528833/people_flock_anonymizing_services_after_nsa_snooping_reports/ |title=People flock to anonymizing services after NSA snooping reports |publisher=PCWorld Australia |first=Grant |last=Gross |date=October 10, 2013 |access-date=October 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013084529/http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/528833/people_flock_anonymizing_services_after_nsa_snooping_reports/ |archive-date=October 13, 2013 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.fiercecontentmanagement.com/story/duckduckgo-continues-making-huge-audience-gains/2013-09-16 |title=DuckDuckGo continues making huge audience gains |publisher=FierceContentManagement |first=Ron |last=Miller |date=September 16, 2013 |access-date=October 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014010905/http://www.fiercecontentmanagement.com/story/duckduckgo-continues-making-huge-audience-gains/2013-09-16 |archive-date=October 14, 2013 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.infoworld.com/t/web-services/duckduckgo-going-straight-226778 |title=DuckDuckGo going straight up |date=September 13, 2013 |access-date=October 12, 2013 |first=Woody |last=Leonhard |publisher=InfoWorld |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015225423/http://www.infoworld.com/t/web-services/duckduckgo-going-straight-226778 |archive-date=October 15, 2013 |url-status=dead}} and in June 2015, it hit 10 million searches per day. In November 2017, DuckDuckGo hit 20 million searches per day. In January 2019, DuckDuckGo set a record of 1 billion monthly searches;{{Cite web|url=https://www.searchenginejournal.com/duckduckgo-hits-a-record-1-billion-monthly-searches-in-january-2019/291609/ |title=DuckDuckGo Hits a Record 1 Billion Monthly Searches in January 2019 |last=Southern|first=Matt |date=February 4, 2019 |website=Search Engine Journal |access-date=February 13, 2019}} and in November of the same year, it hit 50 million searches per day. {{As of|2022|03}}, DuckDuckGo was receiving 102,704,358 queries per day on average. On January 11, 2021, a record of over 102.2 million daily searches was achieved.{{cite web |last=Friedman |first=Alan |title=DuckDuckGo handles over 102.2 million search requests in one day for a new company record |url=https://www.phonearena.com/news/duckduckgo-sees-62-percent-annual-growth-in-queries_id129586 |date=January 18, 2021 |website=phonearena.com |access-date=January 19, 2021}} A new record of 111,703,299 daily searches was set on 17 January 2022. In 2022, DuckDuckGo experienced stagnation and a slight decline in the number of searches per month.{{Cite web |date=November 18, 2022 |title=DuckDuckGo Search Traffic |url=http://duckduckgo.com/traffic |access-date=December 24, 2022 |website=DuckDuckGo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118045948/http://duckduckgo.com/traffic |archive-date=November 18, 2022 }} At the end of the year 2022, they removed their traffic stats page.
Internal surveys by DuckDuckGo found that users of DuckDuckGo had a wide variety of political leanings.
Approximately 56.23% of DuckDuckGo's monthly global traffic comes from the United States, 7.01% from Germany, 4.95% from the United Kingdom, 3.93% from Canada and 2.96% from France.{{cite web|url=https://www.similarweb.com/website/duckduckgo.com/#geography|title=duckduckgo.com|website=similarweb.com}}
See also
{{Portal|Companies|Internet|Pennsylvania}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|DuckDuckGo}}
- {{Official website}}
{{Web search engines navbox}}
{{Tor hidden services}}
Category:Internet search engines
Category:Internet properties established in 2008
Category:Companies based in Chester County, Pennsylvania
Category:Internet privacy software
Category:2008 establishments in Pennsylvania
Category:Android (operating system) software
Category:Proprietary cross-platform software
Category:American companies established in 2008