70% of emails contain trackers, according to Freedom To Tinker. Faced with this observation, DuckDuckGo has been offering a free antitracker service for several months. And now everyone can test it.
In July 2021, DuckDuckGo launched a free antitracker service to protect your emails. So far, it is only in beta version, and obtaining a relay email address “@duck.com” was conditioned by a waiting list. Now, although the service is still in beta, it’s open to everyone, and you can get an address for free (and simply).
How to get an email address?
The procedure differs a little, depending on whether you are on mobile or computer. In the first case, email protection is supported in DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser for iOS and Android. Make sure you have the latest version of the DuckDuckGo app installed, then go to Settings > Email Protection to get your alias.
If you’re on a PC, you need the DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials browser extension, available for Firefox, Chrome, Edge, and Brave, to start the procedure. In a few steps, you can create your personal Duck address and choose which email address the protection should apply to.
© DuckDuckGo / Rémi Bouvet for Clubic
What is the principle ?
As we explained at launch, this email protection consists of filtering. Emails sent to your address are first reviewed by DuckDuckGo for potential trackers. The advantage of this mechanism is that it allows you to keep your email address: it does not require migration.
In practice, the protection removes all tracers embedded in links added to emails, including those added to media. It also includes an encryption function that converts all links using an unencrypted connection (http) into a secure link (https).
Finally, be aware that DuckDuckGo offers two types of address. The personal address of type [email protected] rids trackers of emails received by another address. Alternatively, unique private addresses such as [email protected] may be automatically generated by DuckDuckGo when filling out online forms. These private Duck addresses still forward emails to your personal inbox, but make it harder for businesses to track. In addition, it is possible to deactivate them one by one if necessary.
Some testimonials
In order to encourage you to use its service, DuckDuckGo has published some user reviews. Naturally, the company only communicates the positives. Here are a few though:
Very useful for sites that need an email address to make purchases, especially ones where I don’t need to contact the website outside of an online contact form.
Sometimes when I don’t trust a shopping site or need to give an email address to a site that I’m afraid will spam me, I use the private address.
Source : DuckDuckGo
To download
- No ad tracking
- Respect for privacy
- Hybrid Index
In terms of the interface, DuckDuckGo plays the security card: it is freely inspired by Google’s design! This is about the only similarity between the two American search engines. Indeed, the duck site wants to be radically anti-registration of users. Since its inception, it has made a point of never recording the private data of Internet users and not targeting its results.
In terms of the interface, DuckDuckGo plays the security card: it is freely inspired by Google’s design! This is about the only similarity between the two American search engines. Indeed, the duck site wants to be radically anti-registration of users. Since its inception, it has made a point of never recording the private data of Internet users and not targeting its results.
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