Duolingo: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
m Minor proofreading |
||
| (2 intermediate revisions by one other user not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{ | {{CompanyCargo | ||
| | |Founded=2011 | ||
| | |Industry=Education, Software | ||
| | |Logo=Duolingo.svg | ||
| | |Type=Public | ||
| | |Website=https://duolingo.com | ||
| | |Description=A language learning app with a mission to make learning "universally available". In the 2020s, paywalled content and data breaches affected users. | ||
}} | }} | ||
| Line 11: | Line 11: | ||
==Consumer impact summary== | ==Consumer-impact summary== | ||
====Freedom==== | ====Freedom==== | ||
Users can delete their Duolingo account through the app settings and request their account data through the "[https://drive-thru.duolingo.com/ Duolingo Data Vault]". Users can also allow or deny the collection of optional information through the settings, such as location and anonymous speech data. | Users can delete their Duolingo account through the app settings and request their account data through the "[https://drive-thru.duolingo.com/ Duolingo Data Vault]". Users can also allow or deny the collection of optional information through the settings, such as location and anonymous speech data. | ||
====Privacy==== | ====Privacy==== | ||
According to the privacy policy, if a Duolingo Max user utilizes artificial-intelligence (AI) features, a copy of their text or audio data will be shared with vendors such as [[OpenAI]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.duolingo.com/privacy|title=Privacy Policy|work=Duolingo|date=2024-09-11|access-date=2025-03-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124094802/https://www.duolingo.com/privacy|archive-date=2025-01-24|url-status=live}}</ref> This is also similar for non-AI features, as Duolingo "may also collect and analyze your speech to help [it] understand the effectiveness of [its] lessons and to improve the product, | According to the privacy policy, if a Duolingo Max user utilizes artificial-intelligence (AI) features, a copy of their text or audio data will be shared with vendors such as [[OpenAI]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.duolingo.com/privacy|title=Privacy Policy|work=Duolingo|date=2024-09-11|access-date=2025-03-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124094802/https://www.duolingo.com/privacy|archive-date=2025-01-24|url-status=live}}</ref> This is also similar for non-AI features, as Duolingo "may also collect and analyze your speech to help [it] understand the effectiveness of [its] lessons and to improve the product", though the data are anonymized. | ||
It is also mentioned that when completing a lesson, a video of a user's lesson "will be logged by a service called FullStory. | It is also mentioned that when completing a lesson, a video of a user's lesson "will be logged by a service called FullStory". This service records usage patterns, device specs, and learning activity, and is only disabled by default for child users. Opting out requires going to FullStory's website. | ||
The policy states the app works with third-party advertising networks to personalize advertising, such as with [[Google]], [[Meta]], [[OAuth]], and [[Unity]]. Personalized advertising can be disabled in the app's settings. | The policy states the app works with third-party advertising networks to personalize advertising, such as with [[Google]], [[Meta]], [[OAuth]], and [[Unity]]. Personalized advertising can be disabled in the app's settings. | ||
| Line 28: | Line 28: | ||
====Market control==== | ====Market control==== | ||
Duolingo is the most popular language learning application, | Duolingo is the most popular language-learning application, having 60% market control as of 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessofapps.com/data/language-learning-app-market/|title=Language Learning App Revenue and Usage Statistics (2025)|first=David|last=Curry|date=2025-02-27|work=Business of Apps|access-date=2025-03-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250112232036/https://www.businessofapps.com/data/language-learning-app-market/|archive-date=2025-01-12|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
==Incidents== | ==Incidents== | ||
===Data breach (2023)=== | ===Data breach (2023)=== | ||
In January 2023, the data of 2.6 million users | In January 2023, the data of 2.6 million users were posted to an online hacking forum for $1,500.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/scraped-data-of-26-million-duolingo-users-released-on-hacking-forum/|title=Scraped data of 2.6 million Duolingo users released on hacking forum|first=Lawrence|last=Abrams|work=Bleeping Computer|date=2023-08-22|access-date=2025-03-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250309233352/https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/scraped-data-of-26-million-duolingo-users-released-on-hacking-forum/|archive-date=2025-03-09|url-status=live}}</ref> The data were scraped from a vulnerable API, with email addresses, usernames, languages spoken, and real names being included.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://haveibeenpwned.com/PwnedWebsites#Duolingo|title=Pwned websites|work=haveibeenpwned.com|access-date=2025-03-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250309182649/https://haveibeenpwned.com/PwnedWebsites#Duolingo|archive-date=2025-03-09|url-status=live}}</ref> A spokesperson for Duolingo stressed that "these records were obtained by data-scraping public profile information" and "no data breach or hack has occurred".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://therecord.media/duolingo-investigating-dark-web-post-offering-data-from-2-6-million-accounts|title=DuoLingo investigating dark web post offering data from 2.6 million accounts|first=Jonathan|last=Greig|date=2023-01-23|work=The Record.|access-date=2025-03-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250307194542/https://therecord.media/duolingo-investigating-dark-web-post-offering-data-from-2-6-million-accounts|archive-date=2025-03-07|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
===Paywalled content (2023)=== | ===Paywalled content (2023)=== | ||
| Line 42: | Line 42: | ||
According to Duolingo's mission statement, the goal of Duolingo is to make language learning "universally available."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://investors.duolingo.com/|title=Investor Relations|work=Duolingo Investors|access-date=2025-03-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250123181839/https://investors.duolingo.com/|archive-date=2025-01-23|url-status=live}}</ref> It states, "We created Duolingo so that everyone could have a chance. Free language education – no hidden fees, no premium content, just free."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.duolingo.com/info|title=About Us|work=Duolingo|access-date=2025-03-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250123075248/https://www.duolingo.com/info|archive-date=2025-01-23|url-status=live}}</ref> It goes on to say, "We believe true equality is when spending more can't buy you a better education." | According to Duolingo's mission statement, the goal of Duolingo is to make language learning "universally available."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://investors.duolingo.com/|title=Investor Relations|work=Duolingo Investors|access-date=2025-03-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250123181839/https://investors.duolingo.com/|archive-date=2025-01-23|url-status=live}}</ref> It states, "We created Duolingo so that everyone could have a chance. Free language education – no hidden fees, no premium content, just free."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.duolingo.com/info|title=About Us|work=Duolingo|access-date=2025-03-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250123075248/https://www.duolingo.com/info|archive-date=2025-01-23|url-status=live}}</ref> It goes on to say, "We believe true equality is when spending more can't buy you a better education." | ||
===Pay to win pattern=== | ===Pay-to-win pattern=== | ||
Recently, some of the timed learning games inside the app are impossible to complete in the time allowed, even for a native speaker of the language. In order to win, the user needs to pay for a subscription to buy more time. This also means that the learning high scores can essentially be bought. | Recently, some of the timed learning games inside the app are impossible to complete in the time allowed, even for a native speaker of the language. In order to win, the user needs to pay for a subscription to buy more time. This also means that the learning high scores can essentially be bought. | ||
==Products== | ==Products== | ||
*Learn to Read | *Learn to Read – Duolingo ABC (2021) | ||
*Duolingo Math (2022)<ref name="blog">{{Cite web|url=https://blog.duolingo.com/new-subjects/|title=Duolingo is bringing language, math, and music under one roof!|date=2023-10-11|work=Duolingo Blog|access-date=2025-03-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250120233940/https://blog.duolingo.com/new-subjects/|archive-date=2025-01-20|url-status=live}}</ref> | *Duolingo Math (2022)<ref name="blog">{{Cite web|url=https://blog.duolingo.com/new-subjects/|title=Duolingo is bringing language, math, and music under one roof!|date=2023-10-11|work=Duolingo Blog|access-date=2025-03-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250120233940/https://blog.duolingo.com/new-subjects/|archive-date=2025-01-20|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
*Duolingo Music (2023)<ref name="blog" /> | *Duolingo Music (2023)<ref name="blog" /> | ||