I Use The DuckDuckGo Extension & You Should Too

As technology advances, our privacy will eventually become more and more obsolete. We love our new tech gadgets and smartphones, but these conveniences come at a cost. You know that feeling you get when visiting a site and then seeing their ads everywhere else you go, right? It kind of gives you the feeling that someone is looking over your shoulder when you are surfing the web.

Have you ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes when visiting a website?

DuckDuckGo can help you take a peek behind the red curtain.

This search engine was designed to help you control what information is shared across the web. In addition, DuckDuckGo has created an extension that can be running in the background while you visit your favorite websites.

What is the DuckDuckGo Extension?

The DuckDuckGo extension is an awesome tool to help you understand how websites can monitor and track your data. In addition, DuckDuckGo will also block trackers from obtaining your data.

This means that you can safely browse the internet without having to worry about what companies are doing with your personal information.

How Does The DuckDuckGo Extension Work?

Once installed, the DuckDuckGo extension will give the sites you visit a rating from A to D.

You will be able to see if the site is protected with an encrypted connection, the trackers that are trying to pull data and any privacy practices that raise any red flags. From here you can start to see which sites are low-risk and which sites are too aggressive for your liking.

Here is an example of what I found when I visited CNN.com:

As you can see, CNN’s site rating was a ‘B’ and there were 21 trackers that DuckDuckGo blocked on my behalf.

My first thought was, “That’s a lot of trackers!”

What Does The DuckDuckGo Privacy Grade Mean?

When you visit a website, the DuckDuckGo extension will quickly analyze how aggressive the site is on security and gathering data. Once analyzed, it will associate a privacy grade of A/B/C/D.

Here is a look at DuckDuckGo’s website privacy grade rating:

As you can see, DuckDuckGo has an encrypted connection with a valid SSL certificate so you know your visit will be a safe one. DuckDuckGo also has no trackers so they can’t really tell who is visiting their site and they won’t be able to use any data from your computer. These measures have deemed the privacy practices to be good for the user when visiting DuckDuckGo’s site.

How Can I use the DuckDuckGo Extension?

It’s pretty simple, actually.

First, download the DuckDuckGo extension. Once downloaded, you can visit your everyday sites and click on the Duck logo to start grading them. Feel free to click through the options to see what trackers are enabled and you will see that these trackers will become disabled from reaching your data.

If you feel like this extension has given you value, consider trying their search engine too.

DuckDuckGo Has Search Engine Too?

You can also search the web through DuckDuckGo’s site.

Just like their extension tool, the search engine is designed to protect the user while searching online. They feel that users should have more privacy and a better experience while on the web. Here are a few reasons why DuckDuckGo decided to compete with the big G (Google):

No Storing Personal Data
No Bombarding of Ads
No Biased Search Results
Not Focused on Generating Revenue

Give DuckDuckGo.com a try to see whether you like it or not.

Final Thoughts

Whether you decide this extension or search engine is a good fit or not, you can always use DuckDuckGo as an option to stay anonymous when necessary. This will make it easier to avoid anyone tracking your data when you don’t want to be seen. You may not want your employer, school, or internet provider to see your every move. If this is the case for you, know to leverage this unique tool.