This year, much of the news has come out related to the privacy of phones and their tracking. Be it the highlighted issue about the privacy of Whatsapp or the hacking of Apple’s iMessage. Many authorities came forward to give their justification about products and privacy.
This year, Apple’s app tracking transparency has turned the digital advertising industry upside down. The innovation forces apps to ask iPhone users for explicit permission before they can track those users from the app to the app or across the web.
In the era of the digital world, privacy is the biggest concern. And here comes another warning for Android users. A large number of creepy trackers are hidden in popular applications and it is suddenly exposed. It is said that popular platforms like Facebook and Google also secretly track the phones.
If you are wondering how to stop someone from tapping your phone, switch to DuckDuckGo. The new feature of DuckDuckGo helps to “block third-party trackers.
What is DuckDuckGo?
DuckDuck is an internet search engine that emphasizes protecting searchers’ privacy and avoiding the filter bubble of personalized search results. The search engine was founded in 2008. The engine claims not to store the personal information of the users. It means the searchers done on the search engine are always anonymous.
Even the main search field of DuckDuckGo on the homepage says, “ Our privacy policy is simple, we don’t collect or share any of your personal information.”
The New App Protection of the DuckDuckGo
Recently, DuckDuckGo has launched a beta of its new App Tracking Protection. The app blocks the android device from tracking or tapping the data. This is developed to provide the same protection to Android users as iPhone users have. The App Tracking Protection for Android is free and blocks trackers it identifies in other apps from third-party companies.
Team DuckDuckGo explained it by saying, “We want to protect people where they are and spend most of their time within mobile applications.”
They further added,” These hidden app trackers are super creepy because they can track everything you do in an app and also can continue to track you when you are not using the app. Many are designed to record your activity in real-time. Where you are, what you are doing, where you have been, even how many hours you sleep at night.”
Also Read: Apple Airpods Pro 2 Cause Problems for Google and Samsung
Google and Facebook
When a user resets their android advertising id, that helps to stop the handset from tracking. Still, apps usually send multiple other identifiers, including information on the device, location, contact number, and email address.
DuckDuckGo says, 96% of Android apps tested contain hidden trackers; 87% of them send data back to Google and 68% to Facebook. While Facebook's stats aren't surprising, Google's stats should be an eye-opener.
The search engine also claims that “ Google and Facebook can spy on almost everything you do on your phone. Where you go with it, and so on.”
“The hidden data collection fuels the algorithms that influence how we feel, think, and shop.“ Then this date enables tracking networks like Facebook and Google to create even more detailed digital profiles on you. Tracking networks can manipulate what you see online, target you with ads based on your behavior, and even sell your data to other companies like data brokers, advertisers, and governments.” added the team.
How does App Tracking Protection Works
DuckDuckGo has offered App Tracking Protection as a private beta. It means one can join the waitlist, with more users being given access each week.
On releasing the app protection as beta, DuckDuckGo stated, "We decided to release App Tracking in beta while we work on getting the experience just right. While it’s in beta, a small number of apps are excluded because they rely on tracking to work properly. We hope to reduce the list even further over time.”
DuckDuckGo offers the same protections as Apple’s App Tracking Transparency but has two major differences.
1. Unlike the iPhone, the protection works after installation and activation across all applications on the device. You don't have to manage settings app by app, and you don't depend on any app to save your settings. While this distinction is good, the downside is that some apps that access websites as part of their core functionality may not function properly. You will see the identification on the dashboard.
2. This technology works by creating a local VPN on your phone. It is programmed with the URL of the tracking site that the main tracker in your app is trying to visit. It just blocks that traffic. But if you enable the VPN while using a public Wifi, then the DuckDuckGo solution will be suspended.
Conclusion
Technology comes with its pros and cons. In this world, where mobile is an important asset, it has to become our own enemy by tracking and tapping the information. The App Protection for iPhone users is a great success. Now, DuckDuckGo has the same expectations as its Android users.
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