Independent online privacy company with browser, search engine, and optional AI.
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- Followers 2,659,397
- Likes 6,423
Pinned Tweet
People don't want AI forced on them. DuckDuckGo lets you choose.
The result? Since Google's AI overhaul, our U.S. installs peaked yesterday at 76% above the pre-announcement average, and we broke our single-day search record. 🔥
It's not a blip, it's a movement. Fire Google.
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After months of stalling, Google finally revealed how much personal data they collect in Chrome and the Google app. No wonder they wanted to hide it.
Spying on users has nothing to do with building a great web browser or search engine. We would know (our app is both in one).
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If you ever get asked why you should use DuckDuckGo instead of Google, here's a definitive answer by @yegg:
quora.com/Why-should-I-use-D…
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Google wants you to think "Incognito Mode" is private. It's not.
Google still tracks you. Every Google search and most sites you visit, too.
Had enough? Use DuckDuckGo. We don’t track you. Ever.
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Please keep in mind that if you #deletefacebook or disengage or reduce usage (the more the better), FB trackers still lurk on about 25% of web pages off of FB.
You still need a tracker blocker extension/app, like the one we offer on all major platforms: duckduckgo.com/app
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Google's privacy settings cannot be trusted.
They're settling a lawsuit over allegations of misleading users, secretly recording their movements even after location tracking had been turned off, and offering that data to marketers to sell advertisements. npr.org/2022/11/14/113652130…
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This brings European fines against Meta to more than $900 million since last fall.
A better way to protect data? Don't collect it in the first place. cnn.com/2022/11/28/tech/meta…
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Google complies with invasive "keyword warrants" that identify anyone who searched for a term. @iblametom reports: forbes.com/sites/thomasbrews…
DuckDuckGo doesn't have any search histories by design and, bc of that, has had 0 search warrants (of any kind) since our founding in 2008.
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Back in January we shared a story from @themarkup about Facebook recommending political groups to users, despite their promises not to, "specifically to stop amplifying divisive content".
We're not surprised that they've yet to stop.
themarkup.org/citizen-browse…
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Incognito mode isn't private. It never was.
DuckDuckGo is private. Will always be.
cnet.com/news/google-faces-5…
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"FB’s takeover of the social networking market has inflicted a very specific harm on consumers: It has forced them to accept ever worse privacy settings," says @DinaSrinivasan.
@GiladEdelman on how privacy erosion on FB led to the U.S. antitrust case: wired.com/story/facebook-ftc…
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Yet again (we've lost count at this point), Google was caught tracking people without their consent. This time by France and fined 120M.
techcrunch.com/2020/12/10/fr…
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is being sued by Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) for failing to respond to requests re: their "data hoovering practices," tapping into US citizenship applicants' social media accounts. @swodinsky reports.
gizmodo.com/dhs-sued-over-it…
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"You should take steps to limit Facebook’s data collection. While you can shave the money FB makes selling ads targeted to your interests, this tactic isn’t as effective as spending less time—or no time at all—on the service."
We're team #DeleteFacebook.
fastcompany.com/90516050/giv…
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As a duck, we generally like flocks. Not this one:
“Since FLoC uses your browsing history to assign you to interest-based cohorts, the end result is akin to a super-tracker” says our @KamylBazbaz.
wired.co.uk/article/google-c…
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The Attorney General of Washington DC is now looking to hold Mark Zuckerberg personally responsible for misleading users about Facebook's data privacy practices, reports @ceciliakang.
nytimes.com/2021/10/20/techn…
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Due to Apple's privacy updates, FB publicly grieved the loss of unregulated access to your data, says @swodinsky.
In a statement to their advertising partners, they vented: "We know many of you are experiencing this greater impact as we are."
gizmodo.com/facebook-admits-…
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When you get cookie notices on websites, we recommend clicking the option to review, since it is usually just a few clicks to disable the most invasive ones.
Get our app to totally block major trackers from even loading in your browser: duckduckgo.com/app
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Turns out avoiding Facebook is not just good for your privacy, but also leads to "… improvements in well-being, and in particular in self-reported happiness, life satisfaction, depression, and anxiety.”
calnewport.com/blog/2020/02/…
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"Now, our worst fears have been confirmed. Police in Jackson, Mississippi, have started a pilot program that would allow Ring owners to patch the camera streams from their front doors directly to a police Real Time Crime Center," says @mguariglia.
eff.org/deeplinks/2020/11/po…
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"Google’s power is immeasurable. You see what Google wants you to see."
An explainer on the U.S. antitrust lawsuits against the tech giant for "favoring its own products over competitors’ in search results & unfairly driving up digital ad prices": post-gazette.com/opinion/202…
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Google's incognito mode is “pretty useless”. vice.com/en/article/y3gzgb/i…
Protect your privacy online for real w/our all-in-one solution: duckduckgo.com/app
Comic source: teddit.net/r/funny/comments/…
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Tech companies that abuse user trust & privacy are seeing their reputations plunge.
"The biggest loser among tech giants was Google, which faced PR headwinds in 2020 as the government sued it for monopolistic practices."
axios.com/tech-firms-reputat…
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“TikTok is a data collection service thinly-veiled as a social network.”
For example, in London TikTok is facing a lawsuit for violating UK & EU data protection laws, demanding that illegally processed data from millions of children be deleted.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
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"...the Chrome Browser resembles a two-way mirror. You Think you are browsing the web... when in reality, Google and others are browsing you."
Leah Elliott's comic is the "ultimate guide to one of the world's most used surveillance tools", Google Chrome:
contrachrome.com
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Facebook/Instagram are pressuring users to allow their apps to track them to keep the apps "free of charge".
Reminder: these apps were never free — giving up your data is worth a lot.
theverge.com/2021/5/2/224158…
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Facebook inadvertently brings humor to 2020 with the news they're going to sue the EU for… wait for it… invasion of privacy! 🤣
bbc.com/news/business-535589…
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To fend off antitrust complaints, Google has often claimed search competition is “only one click away.” Nope.
In reality, it takes 15+ clicks to make DuckDuckGo Search (or any other alternative) the default on Android devices.
spreadprivacy.com/one-click-…
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"The simple act of bringing a smartphone to a protest introduces opportunities to be tracked," says Mike Fong. His tips to protect your privacy when attending a protest include:
• Turn off location services
• Turn off WiFi
• Turn off Bluetooth
forbes.com/sites/forbestechc…
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A Google engineer on Google's location tracking settings:" Speaking as a user, WTF? More specifically I **thought** I had location tracking turned off on my phone."
businessinsider.com/google-e…
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Another day, more privacy washing from Google.
Google Play Store is labeling apps as "Teacher approved", which is meant to be read as "kid-safe", but advocacy groups have filed an FTC complaint for deceptive labeling, as some of these apps violate COPPA.
reuters.com/article/us-alpha…
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We're proud to help Apple identify trackers to block, giving hundreds of millions of people more simple privacy without any trade-offs.
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Trying to stay private by enabling "Clear cookies & site data when you quit Chrome"? Bad luck — Google exempts its own websites and keeps your data for Google & YouTube.
On mobile, try the DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser instead: duckduckgo.com/app
theregister.com/2020/10/19/g…
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The biggest social media networks have made it overly complicated to delete your account, but this comprehensive guide from @WIRED will walk you through how to get rid of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Snapchat, & WhatsApp: wired.com/story/how-to-delet…
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"If you tell Facebook not to collect location information from your iPhone, then it doesn’t, right? Wrong." FB harvests, collects, & stores location metadata from your iPhone photos.
@UKZak on some steps you can take to stop them: forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/…
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Calling all C# developers: We're building a new way to use DuckDuckGo on Windows and we need your help.
Learn more about this position, or check out all our other open roles: duckduckgo.com/hiring
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If you're considering Amazon's Ring, please beware multiple privacy & security concerns, including:
• Growing surveillance partnership w/police forces
• Third party trackers on its app
• Data breaches & hackers infiltrating user homes via Ring camera
theguardian.com/technology/2…
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4 reasons to spread the word about DuckDuckGo:
1. Google tracks you, we don't
2. "Incognito Mode" isn't really private
3. Our apps block most hidden trackers
4. Same internet, more privacy
Friends don't let friends get tracked. Share and help them take back their privacy 💪
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NEW: our apps & extensions now protect against Google AMP tracking. When you load or share a Google AMP page anywhere from DuckDuckGo apps (iOS/Android/Mac) or extensions (Firefox/Chrome), the original publisher's webpage will be used in place of the Google AMP version.
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The Q4 2020 results of Google’s search preference menu auction have been released and, as we predicted, DuckDuckGo has been eliminated in most countries.
spreadprivacy.com/search-pre…
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Give us a minute... just silent screaming over this oxymoron: Google VPN 😱
Here's why using it is a terrible idea: protonvpn.com/blog/google-vp…
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Google says after replacing 3rd-party cookies with a technology called FLoC, their behavioral ads will be just as effective. In other words, they can continue to target & manipulate you based on what makes you, you.
And they call this a "private web."
eff.org/deeplinks/2021/03/go…
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More than 30 million people in the United States use DuckDuckGo. What's one thing we hear from them all the time? They don't miss Google.
Join 'em and give us a try!
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"Weather apps deserve their own little corner in hell," @swodinsky says of The Weather App's latest data-mining tactic: using 3rd party data focused on user shopping habits 👿
Search "weather" at DuckDuckGo to receive updates without tracking.
gizmodo.com/your-weather-app…
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According to a leaked memo, "Facebook has no idea where all of its user data goes, or what it’s doing with it" reports Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai.
vice.com/en/article/akvmke/f…
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🚨 New feature alert 🚨
DuckDuckGo for Mac beta cleans up YouTube with our new Duck Player. We'll seamlessly protect you from targeted ads & cookies with a distraction-free interface that incorporates YouTube’s strictest privacy settings.
Download here: duckduckgo.com/mac
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Google has 94%+ of mobile search (yes, that high) — established through anti-competitive tactics. Nevertheless, we've grown to #2 in the US, UK, CA, AU & more.
We'd be much higher if people could easily choose their search engine: spreadprivacy.com/search-pre…
gs.statcounter.com/search-en…
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A battle is brewing: "Metaverse wants to harvest new, uncharted personal info (noting/analyzing where eyes go on a screen & how long you gaze at products). But data privacy wants to protect consumers from this incessant cherry-picking." — @editingwhiz
venturebeat.com/2022/01/28/m…
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Thanks to you, over the last 12 months we’ve been DuckDuckGrowing like crazy!
• More than 50M app downloads
• 55% increase in search traffic
• Became the #2 search engine on mobile in the U.S., Canada, Australia, the Netherlands & more
spreadprivacy.com/duckduckgr…
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A few weeks ago, we shared that FB updated its privacy settings, making it more difficult to find/change them.
You know how we feel about FB, but if you NEED to use it, @KateOflaherty shares tips on how to increase your privacy.
forbes.com/sites/kateoflaher…
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Want to see what @Twitter *thinks* they know about you?
@sil found this enlightening page listing your so-called interests. Although you can't stop the data collection completely, you can stop personalization based on it: Settings → Content preferences
nitter.app/settings/your_twitter_…
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Did you know your Amazon customer profile is public by default? That openly reveals any comments, ratings, biographical info, & more.
@kimkomando explains how to stop Amazon from sharing your info publicly & stop them from tracking your browsing: komando.com/kims-column/stop…
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"Remember when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said "the future is private"? LOL." - @katienotopoulos breaks down Facebook's latest surveillance tool, camera glasses: buzzfeednews.com/article/kat…
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A US Department of Homeland Security memo reveals ICE + CBP are buying geolocation data to track people, report @Haleaziz & @caro1inehaskins.
“This raises concerns about dragnet collection of Americans’ highly private location info…” says @NateWessler.
buzzfeednews.com/article/ham…
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TikTok user? Jake Peterson covers the most aggressive privacy invasion of the app: "contact sharing", which means TikTok sharing your account with ppl you might not even know.
Here are ways to alter settings that help protect your account & your privacy: lifehacker.com/you-should-ch…
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Don't be fooled by Google's attempts at privacy washing. Notice not one announcement says Google is going to collect less data about its users. Misleading by design might be a better catch phrase.
yahoo.com/now/google-touts-p…
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Google and Facebook know how to sell ads w/out damaging privacy... but they choose not to. Our Founder & CEO, @yegg, explains:
nytimes.com/2019/06/19/opini…
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The IRS has ended its use of facial recognition due to major pushback.
"Privacy advocates (e.g., @RonWyden) raised concerns over the use of ID. me’s tech almost immediately after the IRS’s initial contract w/them was announced," reports @corintxt.
theverge.com/2022/2/7/229222…
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YSK along w/ antitrust Google has also been sued by consumers directly in several class action privacy suits:
• On hidden mobile tracking:
theregister.com/2020/11/14/g…
• On so-called "incognito" mode: venturebeat.com/2020/06/03/g…
• Just settled on Google+ breach: businessinsider.com/google-p…
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After a recent legal settlement, Disney, Viacom, & 10 ad tech firms are removing tracking software that could be used to target kids w/ads.
“On 1000s of apps, children will no longer be targeted w/the most insidious, manipulative forms of marketing.”
nytimes.com/2021/04/13/techn…
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We are proud to have a profitable business model that doesn't rely on collecting personal data.
Our Founder & CEO explains how we make money & why companies like Google & Facebook could still be wildly profitable without invasive tracking: quora.com/What-is-the-revenu…
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Should a company be allowed to offer subscription sign ups online but make cancellations only available over the phone? The FTC says no.
We agree and believe it's dark patterns like these that erode trust online.
@SarahScire reports: niemanlab.org/2021/11/the-en…
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If you don't accept WhatsApp's new privacy policy, they won't technically disable your account, but make "it pretty much unusable," reports @swodinsky.
We believe products should be built to serve users, not surveil them.
gizmodo.com/whatsapp-will-tu…
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Facebook is studying "ways of analyzing encrypted data w/out decrypting it", presumably to serve more behavioral ads. This is what happens when creepy ads is your business model.
engadget.com/facebook-analyz…
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Give up your biometric data or lose your job? @LaurenKGurley on the dystopian ultimatum facing Amazon drivers.
vice.com/en/article/dy8n3j/a…
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In trying to kill a class action lawsuit, Google admits Incognito mode was never meant to actually protect your privacy: "websites might be able to collect info about your browsing activity"
The problem is the name itself is inherently misleading.
zdnet.com/index.php/category…
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If you own Amazon devices, they'll automatically opt-in to Amazon's Sidewalk network starting June 8. This allows your devices to connect to your neighbor's WiFi, & theirs to yours. Creepy, right?
@JasonAten on how to opt-out through the Alexa app.
inc.com/jason-aten/amazons-s…
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Our Email Protection beta is now open to all! Get a ✉️ Duck.com address and/or generate unlimited random addresses & we'll remove trackers before forwarding emails to your regular inbox — no need to juggle inboxes. Same inbox, more privacy. spreadprivacy.com/protect-yo…
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DuckDuckGo for Mac beta is now available to download: duckduckgo.com/mac 🎉
Going “incognito” with other browsers doesn’t deliver substantive web tracking protection; you deserve privacy all the time, with built-in protections that make the Internet less creepy. 💁
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If you weren't convinced it's time to #DeleteFacebook...
"Suppose I go to a restaurant, & booked using my name & phone number. The restaurant sends that data to Facebook...[&] Facebook can then tell if I saw an advert which led me to make a purchase."
shkspr.mobi/blog/2020/03/who…
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"Google fired dozens of employees between 2018-2020 for abusing their access to the company's tools or data, w/some workers potentially facing allegations of accessing Google user or employee data, according to an internal document."
@josephfcox reports.
vice.com/amp/en/article/g5gk…
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If you have TikTok, it's highly likely they have your phone number, which is a gold mine that allows the platform to track users “across apps and websites used by other companies." @UKZak explains how to get your number removed.
forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/…
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Tired of your house being available for anyone online to see? @prawnay shares how you can hide your house on Street View, Look Around, and StreetSide:
lifehacker.com/how-to-hide-y…
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Our latest survey in the U.S. shows 27 million Americans (8.6%) use DuckDuckGo! We run surveys to estimate how many users we have because, you know, we don't track.
Join the tens of millions of people who've decided not to trade their privacy to use the Internet.
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We've been using the term "privacy washing" lately, which is when online companies give users a false cloak of privacy... its downright manipulative.
@pardesoteric breaks down some of the privacy shell games to look out for: wired.com/story/facebook-soc…
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Now more than ever, there's a need to cut through the noise surrounding privacy. That's why we've launched DuckDuckGo Privacy Weekly, a curated newsletter to highlight important privacy developments & share reliable advice to protect yourself.
spreadprivacy.com/privacy-we…
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"Whatever the reason, it's relatively easy to request Google blur out the image of your home or apartment on Google Street View."
@jmorse_ shares the steps to take.
mashable.com/article/how-to-…
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Albion College is requiring students to download & install contact tracing app Aura, and we're happy to hear parents are protesting.
"The app is designed to track students’ real-time locations around the clock, and there is no way to opt out."
techcrunch.com/2020/08/19/co…
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"The more I understood how my info was being collected, shared & sold, the more I wanted to protect my privacy," says @laurelwamsley. Her tips:
• Practice good security hygiene
• Use a private browser (like DuckDuckGo)
• Use encrypted messaging apps
npr.org/2020/10/09/922262686…
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"Jeff Bezos has a hidden weapon: your data."
@mattburgess1's steps to limit the info Amazon can gather & use include:
• Turn off personalized ads & browsing history
• Use a browser with good privacy like DuckDuckGo for mobile: duckduckgo.com/app
wired.co.uk/article/amazon-h…
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Facebook & Google don't care about fines, so @mathbabedotorg says we should hit them where it hurts: "The most valuable assets — the algorithms that Facebook developed from the misappropriated data — remain intact."
bloomberg.com/opinion/articl…
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Buying (or already own) an Amazon Ring camera? @mguariglia w/privacy & civil liberties concerns to consider, including:
• Ring footage isn't private
• You should delete footage frequently
• Bad actors have used them to look inside homes & talk to kids
eff.org/deeplinks/2020/02/wh…
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Google's attempt to appear innocent in antitrust investigations? Just stop employees from sounding guilty...
"Taboo words include 'market,' 'barriers to entry,' & 'network effects,' which is when products become more valuable as more people use them." 🤐
themarkup.org/google-the-gia…
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A parking garage in LA asks patrons to download the Metropolis app, whose "4k+ word privacy policy is... aggressively focused on learning who you are & how you behave," reports @Davidlaz.
No one should have to trade their privacy for a parking spot.
latimes.com/business/story/2…
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South Korea is the latest government to take legal action against Meta and Alphabet for allegedly misleading users on data privacy.
spiceworks.com/it-security/s…
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“We must do better than subjecting our students to surveillance & violations of their privacy... better than allowing algorithmic policing through biometric surveillance as the new normal.”
@zenalbatross on why students are rejecting surveillance tools.
vice.com/en/article/n7wxvd/s…
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📈 A Record Breaking August at DuckDuckGo!
⌨️ 2B searches
📱4M app/extension installs
👩💻 65M guesstimated active users (we don't actually know because... privacy)
Each person that demands privacy online is a step toward a better Internet for everyone. #SpreadPrivacy 🦆🦆🦆
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DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser has been the second most downloaded mobile browser in the US (after Chrome) and, as you might expect, doesn't collect any data that's linked to you, making it simple to get the privacy you deserve online.
duckduckgo.com/app
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New setting: hide AI-generated images in DuckDuckGo
Our philosophy about AI features is “private, useful, and optional.” Our goal is to help you find what you’re looking for. You should decide for yourself how much AI you want in your life – or if you want any at all. (1/4)
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Google's reaction when we try to explain that they don't have to serve behavioral ads to make money:
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"Signal doesn’t have access to messages; chat lists; groups; contacts; stickers; profile names/avatars; or even GIFs."
That’s why we suggest @signalapp for messaging. With end-to-end encryption by default, they simply don't have your data (like us): signal.org/bigbrother/centra…
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The FTC updated a decade-old 2009 Health Breach Notification Rule, now requiring health apps & devices that “too often fail to invest in adequate privacy & data security" to notify users if their data is accessed w/out permission.
@carlypage_ reports: techcrunch.com/2021/09/16/ft…
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It may surprise you "how much access law enforcement has to your data, how it might be used against you, or what your rights are — if any — to prevent it."
@SaraMorrison says protect your data by using services, like DuckDuckGo, that never collect it.
vox.com/recode/22565926/poli…
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How it started... How it's going. #DeleteFacebook
Facebook & Google’s conception of privacy is really security, which are not the same. It’s "we’ll try to make sure hackers can’t get the data on our servers, but we’ll continually mine it for profit ourselves." 🙄
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Google has now pushed back removing 3rd party cookies in Chrome another 2 years (to late 2023), but at the same time still testing new tracking mechanisms (like “FLoC”).
What should you do? Grab our desktop extension & mobile app: duckduckgo.com/app
wsj.com/articles/google-dela…
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We're excited to announce that DuckDuckGo Search now includes route planning for location-related searches. The perfect tool for people who want interactive maps with privacy protection at the same time.
spreadprivacy.com/duckduckgo…
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Even if you opt out of Facebook tracking your location data, they continue to harvest it from the photos you share.
"Don’t upload photos to FB or Instagram that have significant location data embedded, unless you want to share that data," says @UKZak.
forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/…
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Facebook plans to create an Instagram for kids under 13 & privacy advocates are rightfully concerned.
"IG relies on extensive data collection, maximising time on devices, promoting a culture of over-sharing... certainly not appropriate for 7-yr olds."
bbc.com/news/technology-5675…
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Do we store your location history, even when you've asked us not to?
Nope.
Do we even know your location history?
Nope.
#ComeToTheDuckSide
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QR codes grew in prevalence during the last 18-months, & privacy experts are concerned, reports @erinkwoo.
“People don’t understand that when you use a QR code, it inserts the entire apparatus of online tracking between you & your meal."
nytimes.com/2021/07/26/techn…
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