DuckDuckGo Introduces Email Service to Remove Trackers from Messages
DuckDuckGo, the privacy-focused search engine, has launched a new email service designed to remove trackers from incoming emails. These trackers are often used to build user profiles for targeted advertising. With this service, users receive a free @duck.com email address. Emails sent to this address are automatically cleaned of trackers before being forwarded to the user’s regular inbox.
Currently in Closed Beta
The service is currently available in a closed beta test. To use it, interested users must join a waitlist, which is open for new sign-ups daily.
How Email Trackers Work
Email trackers can inform senders when a message is opened and help advertisers build a profile based on collected metadata, such as the device used, the time the email was opened, and location data. Worse yet, this information can sometimes end up in the hands of third parties.
Seamless Integration with Existing Email Services
According to DuckDuckGo’s developers, “If you use an email service like Gmail or Yahoo, that’s not a problem! Emails sent to your personal Duck address will arrive there as usual, so you can read your email as you normally would, in any app or on the web, without any hassle.”
Disposable Email Addresses for Extra Privacy
The new service will also offer disposable email addresses, which can be used on untrusted websites that might send spam or share your email address with others.
Privacy and Data Handling
DuckDuckGo assures users that the service will never store your emails. All processing happens in memory only. After receiving an email, the service removes hidden trackers and forwards the message to your specified address without saving any associated headers, such as sender or recipient information.
The recipient’s final email address is the only personal information DuckDuckGo retains (for obvious reasons). If a user decides to delete their account, their email address will also be removed from the system within 30 days.