Data privacy toolkit
This app helps you protect their privacy online without much effort. The tools make it easy for you to stay safe online, blocking hidden trackers, routing to encrypted versions, and more. The app will also keep you posted on poor privacy practices.
DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials is an intuitive extension for handling your data privacy online, similar to Privacy Badger. You can install it in a single click on the Chrome Web Store. It's also available on Firefox, Edge, IE, and Opera. Once installed, it will stay out of the way until you click on the icon.
Easy to install and use
Effective ad & tracker blocking
The extension will block every ad and tracker on every website you visit. You might not notice it right away, but you'll soon see the difference in your browsing experience. You can also check the tool is performing its tasks by checking the number of blocked trackers on every page.
Always encrypted, all the time
When you activate the plugin, your browser will default to HTTPS connections over insecure HTTP connections. This makes sharing sensitive digital data much safer, such as when you pay online with your credit card. Sites without HTTPS will still connect through HTTP, though.
Best data practices
Another great feature of DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials is the Site Privacy Grades. Every site you visit gets its own letter grade, representing how much control they take over your data. Clicking on the 'Data Practices' element takes you to an explanation for the site's grade.
Safer searching
The extension further lets you switch your default search engine to DuckDuckGo, which doesn't track user data. It's optional, and also available without the app. However, if you're into data privacy and tracking, ditching Google for alternatives like DuckDuckGo, Startpage or Searx is a start.
Privacy for everyone
DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials puts responsible data practices in the hands of the people. With this plugin, privacy is possible in the modern web. Best of all, you don't need to know much about data to make it work and stay safe.
