DuckDuckGo Browser to Block Microsoft Trackers
The developers of DuckDuckGo have announced that their browser will soon block all third-party tracking scripts from Microsoft. Previously, this was not possible due to a search agreement between the two companies.
The controversy over Microsoft trackers erupted in the spring of this year when it was discovered that the DuckDuckGo browser blocked trackers from Google and Facebook but allowed Microsoft trackers to operate. Tests showed that DuckDuckGo permitted trackers associated with the bing.com and linkedin.com domains while blocking all others.
Gabriel Weinberg, CEO and founder of DuckDuckGo, explained that the browser allowed Microsoft trackers on third-party sites because of a search syndication agreement. These statements sparked a wave of criticism, and Weinberg tried to defend the company by emphasizing transparency and explaining the nature of DuckDuckGo’s agreements with Microsoft. He clarified that these tracker restrictions applied only to the DuckDuckGo browser and did not affect the company’s search engine. However, it remained unclear why the company had not disclosed this until a researcher accidentally discovered the Microsoft trackers.
Upcoming Changes to Tracker Blocking
This week, DuckDuckGo announced that starting next month, it will block all third-party Microsoft tracking scripts in its mobile DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser (iOS/Android) and DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera).
“Recently, I spoke with a number of users and understand that our browser did not meet their expectations regarding tracking protection. That’s why today we’re announcing improvements in privacy and transparency for tracking protection in DuckDuckGo,” wrote Gabriel Weinberg in a new statement.
The Microsoft tracker blocking feature will use a third-party solution called Tracker Loading Protection. According to DuckDuckGo, the following URLs will be blocked:
- adnxs.com
- adnxs-simple.com
- adsymptotic.com
- adv-cloudfilse.azureedge.net
- app-fnsp-matomo-analytics-prod.azurewebsites.net
- azure.com
- azure.net
- bing.com
- cdnnwlive.azureedge.net
- clarity.ms
- dynamics.com
- fp-cdn.azureedge.net
- licdn.com
- linkedin.com
- live-tfs-omnilytics.azurewebsites.net
- msecnd.net
- nlo-stl-web.azureedge.net
- nuance.com
- pestcontrol-uc1.azureedge.net
- sdtagging.azureedge.net
- serviceschipotlecom.trafficmanager.net
However, DuckDuckGo still uses Microsoft Advertising for search ads, so there will be some exceptions for Microsoft trackers when using the browser. Specifically, after clicking on a search ad in DuckDuckGo, the browser will allow a one-time execution of tracking scripts from bat.bing.com on the advertiser’s website. This enables advertisers to track the effectiveness of their ad campaigns. After this, DuckDuckGo will block all further calls and attempts to load trackers from bat.bing.com on that site.
The company acknowledges that this is not a perfect solution and hopes to eventually replace bat.bing.com trackers with custom implementations currently being developed by engineers from Firefox and Safari.
Microsoft’s Response
Microsoft stated that they are satisfied with this compromise, as it allows DuckDuckGo to enhance user privacy while still enabling Microsoft advertisers to track the effectiveness of their ads.
“Microsoft has a policy to ensure we balance the needs of our publishers and advertisers to accurately track conversions on our network,” Microsoft said. “We are working with DuckDuckGo to assess the potential impact of this policy and are pleased to have found a solution that addresses the concerns raised.”