DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials

DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials

Simple and seamless privacy protection for your browser.

DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials promo image
What is DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials?

DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials is an innovative Edge add-on designed to enhance online privacy. It's equipped with features that block third-party trackers, enforce encrypted connections, and prevent email tracking. The add-on also includes built-in private search, fingerprinting protection, link tracking protection, and more. Experience a safe browsing experience like never before with DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials.

Merlin
Stats
Stats date:
Rating: 4.50 (186)
Version: 2023.9.20 (Last updated: 2023-09-26)
Creation date: 2022-01-25
Manifest version: 3
Overrides search engine: Yes
Permissions:
  • activeTab
  • alarms
  • contextMenus
  • declarativeNetRequest
  • declarativeNetRequestFeedback
  • scripting
  • storage
  • tabs
  • webRequest
  • webNavigation
  • See more
Host permissions:
  • *://*/*
Size: 4.27M
Risk impact: Very high risk impact
Risk likelihood: Very low risk likelihood

Other platforms

DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials
DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials (v2023.9.20)
4.30 (1,993) 6,153,153
DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials
DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials (v2023.9.20)
4.36 (1,981) 1,566,942
Merlin
Summary

Simple and seamless privacy protection for your browser.  

Protecting your privacy online is like protecting your home. Locking the front door won’t stop the most determined folks from getting inside, especially if you’ve left the back door and windows unlocked and an extra key under the doormat. That’s why we offer multiple types of privacy protection, most of which aren’t offered in most popular browsers by default.   

With the press of a button, you get seamless protection from most 3rd-party trackers while you search and browse, access to tracking protections for emails you receive, and much more. Together these privacy essentials make more privacy your default.     FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS 

• Search Privately by Default - DuckDuckGo Private Search comes built-in, so you can easily search the web without being tracked. 

• Escape Website Trackers Before They Load - automatically stop most hidden trackers (3rd-party scripts) from loading, which prevents companies from collecting and using (e.g. sale, ads, etc.) any data from these trackers. Our cutting-edge tracker blocking technology goes well above and beyond what you get in most popular browsers by default. 

• Automatically Enforce Encryption - force many sites you visit to automatically use an encrypted (HTTPS) connection, which helps shield your data from Wi-Fi snoopers and network onlookers like your Internet provider. Most popular browsers only direct users to encrypted versions of pages in specific circumstances, like when you navigate directly to a page in the address bar. We check our list of upgradable sites for all links you click. 

• Enable Built-in Email Protection - Over 85% of emails sent to Duck Addresses contained trackers that can detect when you’ve opened a message, where you were when you opened it, and what device you were using. Email Protection makes it easy to block most email trackers and hide your existing address when signing up for things online, all without switching email providers. 

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User reviews
User reviews summary
These summaries are automatically generated weekly using AI based on recent user reviews. Edge Add-on Store does not verify user reviews, so some user reviews may be inaccurate, spammy, or outdated.
Pros
  • Effectively blocks trackers
  • Context-based ads without invasion of privacy
  • Recommended by various organizations
  • Works well in protecting online activity and information
  • Reduces third-party cookie lifetime
Cons
  • May have compatibility issues with Microsoft Edge
  • Some users report issues with Bing search persistently showing up on new tabs
  • Changes search settings which may trigger warnings from Microsoft Edge
  • Not as popular as other search engines
Most mentioned
  • Tracker blocking
  • Context-based ads
  • Microsoft Edge compatibility issues
  • Privacy protection
  • Alternative to Google
  • Recommendations from various organizations
  • Third-party cookie reduction
View all user reviews
Safety
Risk impact

DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials is not very risky to use and it requires a lot of sensitive permissions. Avoid installing this add-on unless you absolutely trust this publisher.

Risk likelihood

DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials has earned a good reputation and can be trusted.

Subscribe to the premium plan to see more risk analysis details
Screenshots
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