With a browser extension and app that blocks trackers, forces encryption and reviews the terms of service.
I'm a geek for cyber-security and all tools and hacks you can apply to protect yourself online. Naturally I am long time fan of DuckDuckGo - my privacy-conscious search engine. For many years, DuckDuckGo has served as a secure alternative to the ever present Google engine, providing anonymous searches to it's expanding user base.
This week the company took their efforts to the next level and launched a browser extension and a mobile app.
Do you know the feeling, when you are working on something and that nosey aunt Kathy leans over you shoulder and starts observing your every move? That's what browsing the internet feels like today. Unfortunately, it's not good ol' aunt Kathy being nosey, but Mark Zuckerberg & Friends, Google, Amazon and the rest of the internet mafia lot. The amount of work they've put into designing the most sophisticated tracking algorithms is terrifying. The lack of user consent and transparency, often deliberate concealment is disgusting. The way the collected information is then sold to third-party marketing companies is beyond repulsive.
This week the super-awesome team released a new product that will make online-privacy easy. The Browser extension is available for the prominent browsers Firefox, Safari and Chrome. It comes packed with features likes tracker network blocking, smarter encryption and, obviously: private search. For the mobile platforms the app is available for iOS and Android.
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More awesomeness: The extension will provide a Privacy Grade (A-F) for each website you visit. (About time they get schooled, isn't it?). This rating system is designed by DuckDuckGo and takes many factors in account like the amount and type of trackers found on the site and other website privacy measures. Of course, you can dig further into the details by clicking through the extension interface.
The interface reminds me of Ghostery, similar anti-tracker extension, and I dare say the DuckDuckGo one looks neater and is easier to install and configure.
Here is a summary of the features you will find in the app/extension:
Find out which major advertising networks are lurking on the site and block them.
Automatically switch to encrypted browsing, if the website offers this capability.
DuckDuckGo has integrated the policy scores of the Terms of Service Didn't Read team. They review terms & conditions and provide you with quick insights about the way your data is handled.
Lat but not least, the original feature that let's you search the web anonymously, without sacrificing your privacy.
