DuckDuckGo: Difference between revisions

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This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

===Piracy censorship (2022)===

===Piracy censorship (''2022'')===

DuckDuckGo had removed the search results for numerous popular pirate websites, including The Pirate Bay, 1337x, and Fmovies<ref>https://torrentfreak.com/duckduckgo-removes-pirate-sites-and-youtube-dl-from-its-search-results-220415/</ref>{{~~Update needed~~|date=~~{{subst~~:~~November}} {{subst~~:~~2025}}~~|~~reason~~=~~Pirate Bay is still reachable~~}}.

DuckDuckGo had removed the search results for numerous popular pirate websites, including The Pirate Bay, 1337x, and Fmovies. DuckDuckGo responded that it was not intentional and the source of the issues was with [[Bing]]'s data. The search results for the mentioned website were restored by 19 April 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Van der Sar |first=Ernesto |title=DuckDuckGo ‘Removes’ Pirate Sites and YouTube-DL from Its Search Results (Updated) |url=https://torrentfreak.com/duckduckgo-removes-pirate-sites-and-youtube-dl-from-its-search-results-220415/ |website=TorrentFreak |date=15 Apr 2022 |access-date=21 Nov 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419151120/https://torrentfreak.com/duckduckgo-removes-pirate-sites-and-youtube-dl-from-its-search-results-220415/ |archive-date=19 Apr 2022}}</ref> Many websites that could be considered questionable remained unsearchable, however, raising concerns about smaller search engines' reliance on data from Bing.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Van der Sar |first=Ernesto |title=DuckDuckGo ‘Restores’ Pirate Sites and Points to Bing as Culprit |url=https://torrentfreak.com/duckduckgo-restores-pirate-sites-and-points-to-bing-220419/ |website=TorrentFreak |date=19 Apr 2022 |access-date=21 Nov 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419102608/https://torrentfreak.com/duckduckgo-restores-pirate-sites-and-points-to-bing-220419/ |archive-date=19 Apr 2022}}</ref>

~~===Tracking block bias (2022)===~~

&emsp;''See also: [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]]''

DuckDuckGo's privacy browser ~~allows~~ Microsoft trackers on third-party websites due to a search syndication agreement with [[Microsoft]]. However, this changed in August when ~~DuckDuckGo’s~~ contract with Microsoft expired, and ~~Microsoft’s~~ tracking was also blocked<ref>https://~~www.bleepingcomputer~~.com/~~news/security/duckduckgo~~-~~browser~~-~~allows~~-~~microsoft~~-~~trackers~~-~~due~~-to-~~search~~-~~agreement~~/</ref>.

===Tracking block bias (''2022'')===

In May 2022, it was discovered that DuckDuckGo's privacy browser allowed Microsoft trackers on third-party websites due to a search syndication agreement with [[Microsoft]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abrams |first=Lawrence |title=DuckDuckGo browser allows Microsoft trackers due to search agreement |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/duckduckgo-browser-allows-microsoft-trackers-due-to-search-agreement/ |website=Bleeping Computer |date=24 May 2022 |access-date=21 Nov 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525123251/https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/duckduckgo-browser-allows-microsoft-trackers-due-to-search-agreement/ |archive-date=25 May 2022}}</ref> However, this changed in August 2022 when DuckDuckGo's contract with Microsoft expired, and Microsoft's tracking was also blocked.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weinberg |first=Gabriel |title=More Privacy and Transparency for DuckDuckGo Web Tracking Protections |url=https://spreadprivacy.com/more-privacy-and-transparency/ |website=Spread Privacy: The Official DuckDuckGo Blog |date=5 Aug 2022 |access-date=21 Nov 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805185059/https://spreadprivacy.com/more-privacy-and-transparency/ |archive-date=5 Aug 2022}}</ref>

===Political censorship (2025)===

===Political censorship (''2025'')===

~~DuckDuckGo’s~~ owner announced that the search engine would be de-ranking websites deemed to spread Russian misinformation<ref>https://www.pcmag.com/news/duckduckgo-to-down-rank-sites-associated-with-russian-disinformation</ref>.

DuckDuckGo's owner announced that the search engine would be de-ranking websites deemed to spread Russian misinformation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kan |first=Michael |title=DuckDuckGo to Down-Rank Sites Associated With Russian Disinformation |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/duckduckgo-to-down-rank-sites-associated-with-russian-disinformation |website=PCMag |date=10 Mar 2022 |access-date=21 Nov 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220310194537/https://uk.pcmag.com/software-services/139164/duckduckgo-to-down-rank-sites-associated-with-russian-disinformation |archive-date=10 Mar 2022}}</ref>

==See also==

@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
-===Piracy censorship (2022)===
+===Piracy censorship (''2022'')===
-DuckDuckGo had removed the search results for numerous popular pirate websites, including The Pirate Bay, 1337x, and Fmovies<ref>https://torrentfreak.com/duckduckgo-removes-pirate-sites-and-youtube-dl-from-its-search-results-220415/</ref>{{Update needed|date={{subst:November}} {{subst:2025}}|reason=Pirate Bay is still reachable}}.
+DuckDuckGo had removed the search results for numerous popular pirate websites, including The Pirate Bay, 1337x, and Fmovies. DuckDuckGo responded that it was not intentional and the source of the issues was with [[Bing]]'s data. The search results for the mentioned website were restored by 19 April 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Van der Sar |first=Ernesto |title=DuckDuckGo ‘Removes’ Pirate Sites and YouTube-DL from Its Search Results (Updated) |url=https://torrentfreak.com/duckduckgo-removes-pirate-sites-and-youtube-dl-from-its-search-results-220415/ |website=TorrentFreak |date=15 Apr 2022 |access-date=21 Nov 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419151120/https://torrentfreak.com/duckduckgo-removes-pirate-sites-and-youtube-dl-from-its-search-results-220415/ |archive-date=19 Apr 2022}}</ref> Many websites that could be considered questionable remained unsearchable, however, raising concerns about smaller search engines' reliance on data from Bing.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Van der Sar |first=Ernesto |title=DuckDuckGo ‘Restores’ Pirate Sites and Points to Bing as Culprit |url=https://torrentfreak.com/duckduckgo-restores-pirate-sites-and-points-to-bing-220419/ |website=TorrentFreak |date=19 Apr 2022 |access-date=21 Nov 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419102608/https://torrentfreak.com/duckduckgo-restores-pirate-sites-and-points-to-bing-220419/ |archive-date=19 Apr 2022}}</ref>
-===Tracking block bias (2022)===
+&emsp;''See also: [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]]''
-DuckDuckGo's privacy browser allows Microsoft trackers on third-party websites due to a search syndication agreement with [[Microsoft]]. However, this changed in August when DuckDuckGo’s contract with Microsoft expired, and Microsoft’s tracking was also blocked<ref>https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/duckduckgo-browser-allows-microsoft-trackers-due-to-search-agreement/</ref>.
+===Tracking block bias (''2022'')===
+In May 2022, it was discovered that DuckDuckGo's privacy browser allowed Microsoft trackers on third-party websites due to a search syndication agreement with [[Microsoft]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abrams |first=Lawrence |title=DuckDuckGo browser allows Microsoft trackers due to search agreement |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/duckduckgo-browser-allows-microsoft-trackers-due-to-search-agreement/ |website=Bleeping Computer |date=24 May 2022 |access-date=21 Nov 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525123251/https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/duckduckgo-browser-allows-microsoft-trackers-due-to-search-agreement/ |archive-date=25 May 2022}}</ref> However, this changed in August 2022 when DuckDuckGo's contract with Microsoft expired, and Microsoft's tracking was also blocked.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weinberg |first=Gabriel |title=More Privacy and Transparency for DuckDuckGo Web Tracking Protections |url=https://spreadprivacy.com/more-privacy-and-transparency/ |website=Spread Privacy: The Official DuckDuckGo Blog |date=5 Aug 2022 |access-date=21 Nov 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805185059/https://spreadprivacy.com/more-privacy-and-transparency/ |archive-date=5 Aug 2022}}</ref>
-===Political censorship (2025)===
+===Political censorship (''2025'')===
-DuckDuckGo’s owner announced that the search engine would be de-ranking websites deemed to spread Russian misinformation<ref>https://www.pcmag.com/news/duckduckgo-to-down-rank-sites-associated-with-russian-disinformation</ref>.
+DuckDuckGo's owner announced that the search engine would be de-ranking websites deemed to spread Russian misinformation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kan |first=Michael |title=DuckDuckGo to Down-Rank Sites Associated With Russian Disinformation |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/duckduckgo-to-down-rank-sites-associated-with-russian-disinformation |website=PCMag |date=10 Mar 2022 |access-date=21 Nov 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220310194537/https://uk.pcmag.com/software-services/139164/duckduckgo-to-down-rank-sites-associated-with-russian-disinformation |archive-date=10 Mar 2022}}</ref>
 ==See also==