DuckDuckGo for Android could now stop app trackers

The open beta version of the DuckDuckGo for Android app tracking protection feature now allows some users to block third-party trackers in their installed applications.

DuckDuckGo for Android applications is a web browser that prioritises privacy. Moreover, this search engine downloaded over 10 million instances from Google Play Store and includes numerous privacy features such as search term anonymity, hidden tracker blocking, auto-HTTPS, single-tap history cleaning, and email tracker protection.

 

The DuckDuckGo tracking protection feature aims to increase users’ privacy.

 

The new DuckDuckGo feature aims to strengthen the privacy of the entire operating system by blocking third-party trackers in other Android apps that are present within a device.

The new ability is a free feature that helps block trackers inside installed apps, especially the ones with suspicious origins. This unique ability of the app tracker-blocker could lessen the powers of features like the Google tracking capability on weather applications.

Furthermore, the new app tracking protection version allows Android users to review the blocked trackers and what type of information they target, which is not present in the previous version of DuckDuckGo, indicating a massive improvement in privacy protection.

Some experts said that the latest version resembles iOS’s App Tracking Transparency. However, DuckDuckGo’s system does not rely on its developer’s compliance with user choice.

DuckDuckGo’s researchers stated that Android device owners have an average of nearly 35 applications installed on their phones. This number could generate about 2,000 tracking attempts daily from more than 70 tracking firms.

The App Tracking Protection assures Android users that it will block all these attempts in the background while they play games, browse the web, or check the weather on their phones.

The blocking feature also operates without causing a noticeable effect on the device’s performance, which is an improvement compared to its previous version. The DuckDuckGo blocking ability was developed by its authors to keep up with the growing number of trackers from third-party entities.