New DuckDuckGo privacy ad shows how it makes sure internet trackers are DuckDuckGone

Duckduckgo Mac App
Duckduckgo Mac App (Image credit: DuckDuckGo)

What you need to know

  • DuckDuckGo has a new ad that highlights privacy at a time when Apple is doing the same.
  • The DuckDuckGo app can protect people against data trackers including Google.
  • Apple already has data tracking protections built into iOS and Safari and has shared its own ad to highlight them.

Privacy-oriented search engine and browser outfit DuckDuckGo has shared a new ad that highlights how it works to protect users from having their data collected by other companies, including Google.

The new ad, which is similar to one that Apple recently shared about iPhone privacy and data brokers, will air on televisions nationwide across the United States, while a radio component will also be part of the campaign.

In the new ad we see people going about their lives, using the internet on their devices. Backed by a modified version of Every Breath You Take by The Police, the ad shows that every tap, click, and search people carry out is tracked by companies like Google. The ad then suggests that people should download the DuckDuckGo app and use that to browse the internet instead, using its built-in privacy tools to block trackers at the source.

Are you tired of companies like Google and Facebook watching everything you do online? There's a simple solution: DuckDuckGo.DuckDuckGo is an all-in-one privacy app with a built in private search engine, web browser, email protection, one-click data clearing, and more — all for free.

Google and other companies collect information on what websites we visit, what we search for, and more. That information is then either used for in-house things like ads or sold to other companies to help them build a profile about us or our demographics. Apple and companies like DuckDuckGo are working to make it more difficult for them to do that without our knowledge.

Apple already offers a ton of privacy protections via its own Safari browser as well, but those who want to use an all-in-one solution — as DuckDuckGo calls it— can download the DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser app from the App Store now. It's free and is probably one of the best iPhone apps for people who want to browse the internet with confidence that their searches and taps aren't being sold to the highest bidder.

Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.