DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused internet search engine founded in 2008 by Gabriel Weinberg and headquartered in Paoli, Pennsylvania, USA. Unlike Google and Bing, which track user search queries and build behavioral profiles for advertising targeting, this search engine does not collect, store, or share any personal information about its users, including IP addresses, search history, or click-through behavior. The platform generates search results primarily from its own web crawler index supplemented by API partnerships with Microsoft Bing for web results, Apple Maps for local business data, and Wolfram Alpha for computational queries. Instant Answers features provide direct factual responses above traditional link results for queries about calculations, definitions, weather, and other structured data, reducing the need to click through to external websites. The company also offers a web browser extension and mobile browser app that block third-party tracking cookies, force HTTPS encrypted connections on all websites, and display a privacy grade rating for each site visited. Revenue comes from contextual keyword-based advertising rather than personalized behavioral advertising, meaning ads are matched to the current search term without using personal data. For users concerned about digital surveillance and data collection by large technology platforms, this search engine offers a practical alternative that delivers useful search results while minimizing the personal information exposed to advertisers and data brokers.