The company offers Android users similar protection to the transparency and app tracking feature that Apple introduced earlier this year.DuckDuckGo has revealed its plan to protect Android users from third-party trackers silently collecting information to share with companies like Google and Facebook, with a feature inspired by the app tracking and transparency update, released by Apple in January.
This feature is known as application tracking protection. DuckDuckGo says it uses an on-device VPN to automatically detect third-party trackers and prevent them from sharing information with the intended recipient. The distinction “on the device” is important because Android recognizes the functionality as a VPN, but it should not send any information to an external server.
“In all of its applications, your personal information is sent to dozens of third-party companies a thousand times a week,” the company says. “This data allows tracking networks like Facebook and Google to create even more detailed digital profiles of you. With these profiles, tracking networks can manipulate what you see online, targeting you with ads based on your behavior. and even share your details with other sellers. Company “. as data brokers, advertisers, and governments. ”
This is a common problem: DuckDuckGo claims that “over 96% of the popular free Android apps we tested (based on AndroidRank.org rankings) had hidden third-party trackers,” with 87% of them sharing data with Google and 68% sent. . Sending data to Facebook. Trackers can also send information to other companies, many of whom have probably never heard of them.
Application tracking protection will be built into DuckDuckGo’s existing Android app, so users can see information about which trackers have blocked the feature and in which apps, so they can learn more about how some developers process their information. . People can also receive notifications with summaries of app tracking protection activity if they want.
DuckDuckGo says they’re releasing app tracking protection in private beta so you can fine-tune the experience. Blocking the tracker can cause issues with some software, which is why the company has excluded some apps from app tracking protection and says that people with issues with other apps can turn it off. (Ideally when notifying the company of the problem).
