6 ms·
Like Google, by default DDG tracks what results the user clicks on. URLs are prefixed with a DDG URL. Users HTTP requests are forwarded through DDG servers.
by feelin_googley 9y ago
Like Google, by default DDG tracks what results the user clicks on. URLs are prefixed with a DDG URL. Users HTTP requests are forwarded through DDG servers.
By default, DDG "lite" does not set cookies or use Javascript. However, if the user wants to change the default "settings" (HTTP has no state so this is a fiction), then AFAICT she has to enable Javascript and accept cookies. Privacy conscious users do not want Javascript or cookies.
DDG could achieve the same result by simply providing an alternate URL, something like /lite2 in addition to /lite.
Whether DDG saves this data I have no idea. But one has to wonder why, if privacy is a goal, DDG is collecting it to begin with.
If DDG believes it is doing this for the benefit of users, it is not convincing because there are alternative ways to achieve the same benefit that do not require prefixing URLs, Javascript or use of cookies.
For example, browser settings already allow the user to control HTTP Referer headers, assuming queries were submitted using GET. The user can change the settings in the browser so that no referer is sent, or to send a custom referer of her choosing.
Another example is if DDG accepted queries via POST method in addition to GET. No search terms would be leaked in the URL or in any HTTP referer.
- kuhsaft 9y agoAccording to DDG, they prefix the links to prevent the destination websites from obtaining the search terms used via the HTTP Referer header. Source: https://duckduckgo.com/privacy https://duckduckgo.com/privacy
- tagawa 9y agoDuckDuckGo staff here - just want to clarify a couple of points: * We don't track result clicks. URLs are no longer prefixed with a DDG URL by default except for old browsers (although this is controllable in the settings: https://duckduckgo.com/settings#privacy https://duckduckgo.com/settings#privacy ), but even if this is in effect we don't store which sites users visit. We started stripping search queries in referrer headers in 2010 and you're right, current web standards make it possible to do this without us having to redirect through our own servers. * We have an alternative non-JavaScript URL - https://duckduckgo.com/html https://duckduckgo.com/html - which tries to offer a fuller search experience than the minimalist https://duckduckgo.com/lite https://duckduckgo.com/lite * Cookies are used to store settings but if users prefer to block them, preferences can still be "saved" by using URL parameters, listed here: https://duckduckgo.com/params https://duckduckgo.com/params These can be used either to form a local bookmark/start page or anonymously in the cloud with a password only (no username or other data). > But one has to wonder why, if privacy is a goal, DDG is collecting it to begin with. I'm not sure which data this is referring to but we don't collect or share personal information. There's more on this in our privacy policy: https://duckduckgo.com/privacy https://duckduckgo.com/privacy
- tagawa 9y agoI forgot to add that we do accept POST request queries as an alternative to GET, again from the settings.