DuckDuckGo switches to Apple Maps, because privacy

MapKitJS, Apple's JavaScript-based, embeddable mapping framework for the web, was one of my favorite bits of news from WWDC that didn't make the keynote. With it, companies could provide elegant, robust online maps without forcing users to hand over location data to Google or anyone else.

DuckDuckGo obviously feels likewise:

We're excited to announce that map and address-related searches on DuckDuckGo for mobile and desktop are now powered by Apple's MapKit JS framework, giving you a valuable combination of mapping and privacy. As one of the first global companies using Apple MapKit JS, we can now offer users improved address searches, additional visual features, enhanced satellite imagery, and continually updated maps already in use on billions of Apple devices worldwide.

I'm sure all the very clever people on the team are thrilled to see the project not only get such a big implementation but such an important one, because DuckDuckGo is also the duck-duck-go-to for everyone on the web who really cares about keeping their search data private.

At DuckDuckGo, we believe getting the privacy you deserve online should be as simple as closing the blinds. Naturally, our strict privacy policy of not collecting or sharing any personal information extends to this integration. We do not send any personally identifiable information such as IP address to Apple or other third parties. For local searches, where your approximate location information is sent by your browser to us, we discard it immediately after use. You are still anonymous when you perform map and address-related searches on DuckDuckGo.

Congrats to everyone involved. More like this, please.