DuckDuckGo—DuckDuckGo browser allowed Microsoft trackers due to search syndication agreement, then reversed after public backlash
In May 2022, security researcher Zach Edwards discovered that DuckDuckGo's mobile browser was allowing Microsoft tracking scripts on third-party sites due to a search syndication agreement. CEO Gabriel Weinberg confirmed this was contractual. After significant public backlash, DuckDuckGo announced in August 2022 that it would block Microsoft trackers as well, expanding its tracker blocking to cover all companies.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Transparency | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| User Privacy | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.483 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.57)× agency (reactive ×0.75)
Evidence (1 signal)
DuckDuckGo browser found to allow Microsoft trackers due to search syndication agreement
Security researcher Zach Edwards discovered DuckDuckGo's mobile browser allowed Microsoft tracking scripts on third-party websites. CEO Gabriel Weinberg confirmed the exception was due to a contractual search syndication agreement with Microsoft. DuckDuckGo later reversed this policy in August 2022.