DuckDuckGo uses App Store privacy labels to call out Google for ‘spying’ on users
Google is slowly updating its many iOS applications with App Store privacy labels, detailing the type of data it collects from users. The Google and Chrome applications were recently updated with these new labels, and DuckDuckGo is already using them to its advantage.
Expand Expanding CloseDuckDuckGo’s privacy-focused Apple Maps integration gains driving and walking directions
Privacy-focused browser DuckDuckGo has been using Apple Maps since early 2019 and has been improving the integration steadily. Now DuckDuckGo has launched driving and walking directions to further complete the feature set while keeping your location searches completely private.
Expand Expanding CloseYou can now change your default iOS browser to Firefox or DuckDuckGo
If you’ve updated to iOS 14, you can now change your default iOS browser to either Firefox or DuckDuckGo if you wish. Both browsers have been approved by Apple to take advantage of the new option to change your default web browser from Safari. (Google’s Chrome had already been approved.)
Both browsers claim that the switch will further boost your privacy protections …
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DuckDuckGo releases open source web Tracker Radar for individuals, devs, and researchers
Privacy-focused browser DuckDuckGo has made another step in offering a more private web experience today as it released its Tracker Radar. DuckDuckGo also made the resource open source and shared how individuals, developers, and researches can make use of the tool.
DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials now available as Safari extension
DuckDuckGo used to offer a Safari extension for its Privacy Essentials suite — available for Chrome and Firefox browsers — but it was removed due to platform changes in how Safari extensions worked last year. However, now it’s back…
DuckDuckGo’s Apple Maps integration now supports dark mode, re-querying, more
DuckDuckGo has updated its integrated maps that are powered by Apple’s MapKit with a handful of new features today. Headlining the maps update is support for dark mode, re-querying, and local autocomplete.
DuckDuckGo switches to privacy-focused Apple Maps to ‘set a new standard of trust online’
DuckDuckGo, the popular search engine alternative to Google has announced today that its address and map searches on mobile and desktop are now powered by Apple’s MapKit JS framework. DuckDuckGo is one of the first companies to rely on MapKit for its data and touts the privacy that the move brings to its users.
DuckDuckGo has grown 600% since Apple made it a search option (and NSA revelations)
Speaking in an interview with CNBC, DuckDuckGo CEO Gabe Weinberg said that the company’s traffic has grown 600 percent over the past two years. A variety of factors likely played a role in this explosion of growth, but it is mainly attributable to the NSA’s surveillance program, which was revealed two years ago, and Apple adding it as a default search option with iOS 8 and Safari 7.1 on the Mac. Google, however, has remained the default option.
Flashlight alpha app for Mac could show us the future of Spotlight
Spotlight, the search tool built into OS X, got a lot smarter in Yosemite – but one developer thinks it could go a whole lot further. He’s developed Flashlight, an app that extends the capabilities of Spotlight to include weather animations and Wolfram Alpha searches.
More interestingly, he’s intending it to act as an unofficial API other developers can use to add functionality to Spotlight …
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Apple releases Safari 7.1 for Mavericks w/ DuckDuckGo search engine, encryption for Yahoo searches
Apple has just released Safari 7.1 to all users of OS X Mavericks following several beta releases in recent weeks. The update adds DuckDuckGo as a default search engine option, which was also just added to Apple’s mobile version of Safari alongside iOS 8. The update also includes a security improvement for Yahoo search engine users: Apple says Yahoo searches from the search field are now encrypted.
In addition, Apple notes the release improves Reader and AutoFill compatibility with websites.
The release follows OS X 10.9.5 becoming available to all users yesterday with Safari 7.0.6. The Safari 7.1 update is available to users on OS X Mavericks 10.9.5 now through Updates in the Mac App Store.