Reviews & Comments of DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials chrome extension

I like this extension a lot for its blocking capabilities but I DON'T like that it forces me to use ddg search engine from the address bar without the option to change it!

It won't let Zoom connect with Facebook. When the extension is enabled I can't go live on Facebook from Zoom. If I turn off the extension, it works fine.

This DuckDuckGo extension blocks genuine sites like my.cigna.com that caters to a lot of people for their health insurance information. Multiple critical assets like "/public/digital-experience/js/common.js" are blocked unnecessarily and if it is blocked functionality of the website is affected. There is no customer support option to relay these concerns.

For some reason I'm now getting adverts or spam emails when i am using social media. WHY?????

forced to use ddg as search engine, no way to cancel it except off the extention. what a suck way .

A search engine that does not track my privacy good job duckduckgo

Censored search engines and always inaccurate results.

Wanted to use email protection from DuckDuckGo, but the extension forces me to also use their search engine. I only want the email protection, not the search engine function, but can't get one without the other... so uninstalling the extension and looking for another email protection provider...

DuckDuckGo isn't a good name, how about named DuckDuckbing. I don't see any different from Bing. All you got is preventing Google track. And forces you to set DuckDuckGo as default browser. How dare you!!!

Nice

The best search engine on the planet. I've stopped using google completely and couldn't be more pleased. Thank u DDG!

After further research I see that DDG sold out its users to microsoft.

"Privacy" extension reads all your data (browsing activity) Theres better do not track options out there that dont defeat their purpose for privacy google will also know all your browse searches when using DDG engine Function: Lowers trackers, but def not 100%

Unfortunately, this extension doesn't allow the live chats on most of the websites. I have been blaming some of the hosting companies if they disable Live support. but after trying hours of time I figured out. the problem was with your extension. Please fix that ASAP. Solution for now: disabled the extension. Thanks

Appears to cause cnn web site to flicker. I have to disable it on occasion to read that website.

Love it at first, until I discovered that it changed my default search engine

My main issue with it is that it overrides your default search engine. I use the Search Set extension to then override *it*, but with every update of the DuckDuckGo extension, it reverts back. I mainly wanted it just for the privacy rating (A+–F), and have used it for that purpose for years, but that went away a couple weeks ago. Not sure if a bug or not.

My company make me use Google so I added duck duck go to chrome to help.

what just happening, suddenly duckduckgo stops showing privacy badge icon on websites for that I can't find out which site safe or suspicious. Please duckduckgo fix it.

This extension is a must-have! It works in the background, and I haven't noticed negative effects anywhere.

I love the idea of a privacy grade and improvement suggestions, but I really hate that it takes over Chrome and makes all searches happen on its own search engine rather than Google. This search engine never has the results I'm looking for and it doesn't have those content previews like Google has (for example, you search for something and Google shows a little pane on the side giving brief information about it; DuckDuckGo doesn't have this). Wish there were an option to disable this "search engine takeover"...

I love this thing. I wish they had a browser for desktop. This is good enough for now, though. I just use Brave when possible (with this extension/engine as well). Yeah I said it. What are you going to do, Google? Something invasive w my data? Oh wait LMAO

So, whenever I search for a browser download, any browser, the first result is always Opera. Which makes me wonder what other programs are being boosted by DDG. Don't like that, removing the extension and the ddg search option in my browser.

Immediately flagged chrome.google.com for "Poor Privacy Practices". Who would'a thunk it. Shame on Google.

you have sold us out, DuckDuckGo. Every "free" projects starts as "do no evil" and eventually turns into a commercial enterprise selling user data for profit. Exactly what happened here too.

When DuckDuckGo app for Windows? (I really liked the way app trackers are being disabled on Android. Would love to see a similar feature for windows as well)

Questionable and sketchy. Please think critically about this extension and DDG's underlying service. It fundamentally just does not make sense. While the overall goals and concept are praiseworthy, the implementation is suspicious to say the least: - Why go to the trouble of implementing a browser extension and/or require a phone app? Sneakemail has offered a disposable privacy-oriented e-mail service for 22 years, with a web interface. A smart privacy oriented product should have *minimal* invasiveness. - Why does the browser extension require permissions to view your browsing history? How is this related to the advertised service? This is the OPPOSITE of being a pro-privacy company. - DDG's Scandal: Let's not forget about DDG's secret deal with Microsoft: DDG's browser advertises pro-privacy and anti-tracking services, but they secretly whitelisted tracking from Microsoft. (Exposed May 2022.) - Running an e-mail service like this is expensive in technology and human labour. Yet they are offering it for free? How does that work? DDG is not a charity. So how are they funding themselves? So what's the REAL reason for them requiring a browser extension, which can read your entire browsing history? How does this help them increase privacy?

I will uninstall this extension mainly because it forces me to use DDG as a default search engine. That's annoying AF. Google is waaaaaay more accurate!

Thanks DDG

I support DuckDuckGo and would love to use the email feature. However, I also support the planet, and want to use Ecosia as much search engine. With this extension enabled, you are forced to have DDG as your default search engine.

There's absolutely no reason to require a web browser extension for a "private email" feature. Firefox Relay does the same thing and works without an extension - simply sign up on their website, generate a new email, copy to clipboard. Simple as that. The PR around this announcement and their pathetic attempts to try to justify the extension requirement smell of such BS. This is such a scummy move that has made me lose my trust in DuckDuckGo.

I wish there was more customizability with this plugin. I like the email forwarder and the ability to customize the email you give to various places, but not at the expense of taking over my default browser. I like duckduckgo, and I use them a lot, but I prefer another search engine.

I realize that "change default browser" is listed in the description, my personal opinion is that it should *ask* the user to change their default browser, rather than doing it silently

Force installed by using DDG Email.

It Works!

Stupid google and their tracking devices. You should download this 100% just to show google whos the boss of their own lives.

I appreciate DDG's anti-tracking and privacy measures, but I need full control of the browser experience. I will not use an extension that prevents me from changing my default search engine. This is a 2- to 3-star mistake. 2 stars +1 for the email privacy feature despite the foregoing.

DDG is a great addition to increasing one's privacy, and I applaud their stance on not collecting, storing, using, or selling personal information. Unfortunately, Google went evil a long time ago despite having roots in a similar philosophy. That said, the extension is too "all or nothing." DDG needs to allow the ability to whitelist sites to put the power back into the hands of the user. It breaks certain sites and doesn't allow content like reviews and discussions on other sites. Take a cue from the uBlock Origin extension and allow it.

Works with VPN Network like a charm. Thanks a lot...

Setting the default search engine without my agreement, whtn i just re-enabled your extensions after several months of not using it isn't nice. I just hate when extensions do that. That's the way you lose the users

Duck Duck Go is essential for me. I have always been pleased with their products. It appears that there are a lot pf liars here who are making the most outlandish statements. What it obvious to me is that there are some full on idiots who will believe anything and there are some full on LIARS who are obviously mad that DDG is becoming popular; heads above the trash they are peddling.

until recently i loved this extension but now i must say this sadly i have found that your extension has recently made it where disqus no longer remembers that i have logged in and when i switch from a page i was logged in on to the new page where i should still be logged in on it has logged me out and i have to keep signing back in on each page to make comments and i suspect this is happening to a lot more they just haven't figured this out yet until this is resolved i will sadly have to leave this extension disabled as i rely heavily on disqus and have not found a work around yet

just a great add on

Latest release broke Youtube (infinite looping) and google maps (my starred places) Please fix... Thanks.

Used to be a great search site until they sold our data to the big corporations... bye bye Duckie.

Was amazing until it recently broke twitter for me. I can no longer sign into other accounts, and often get logged out randomly. Found out it was DuckDuckGo by disabling other extensions. Was genuinely a very good extension until recently.

Was working pretty well until recently. It started putting youtube into a refresh loop, which is kind of a deal breaker for me. Please fix this, so I can enable it again.

It puts youtube in a refresh loop. Confirmed it is the cause by elimination.

Duckduckgo is supposed to be anti-censorship and pro-privacy. Also Duckduckgo: lets censor things not relating to our political beliefs and sell your private information! Duckduckgo will censor results based on political motives. Duckduckgo will sell your private data. What they claim is a lie, don't use this extension.

I feel much safer when I have duck duck go enabled!

Censors search results. Don't trust any company that censors. Say no to censorship.

Right now (!) it breaks too many sites for me. Today alone it prevented me from logging in on xbox.com, voting on update blog posts on Steam (when you open them on a game's store page with a left-click, but I think it voting worked when I opened the update posts i a separate tab) and just now it prevented me from completing a captcha from CloudFlare when I tried to visit pcpartpicker.com (it kept reloading the captcha after answering correctly). I'll disable it for now and will try it again soon. And yes, I know I could disable it on a site-by-site basis. I do like the DDG project and hope they can fix most of the site breaking issues. Will update my rating then as well.

NEW: According to DuckDuckGo CEO, DDG doesn't block Microsoft's trackers. Not only that, if you hit an MSFT ad, it will show MSFT your IP Address. DuckDuckgo now censors content, according to their CEO himself. I will now delete duckduck and never use them again.

best for me personally

Beatiful

Great addition to the Chromebook, no issues using the extension.

There is no better search engine than DuckDuckGo. I have been using it for years and I haven't had any problems with it, just knowing that it is secure is an added comfort...

DDG has decided to purge all independent medica outlets and replace them with "trusted" mainstream media outlets... Gabriel Weinberg hope you got paid enough for DDG to crash and burn.. Going to switch to T U S K. At least there i have the right to figure out on my own what is to be "trusted"

DuckDuckGo has decided that they have the right to declare what is and isn't factual and tell me which news sites I can read from. I started using this service to avoid giving my data to companies that hate me and wish to control my life. And you have joined them. If you don't die a hero, you live long enough to become the villain. Time to use something else.

They sold out and decided to become yet another arm of authoritarian propaganda.

Used to love it, now I hate it. No more privacy, only manipulated search results. They sold out on you. Moving over to Brave Browser Search, hopefully they will maintain their integrity. Shame on you DuckDuckGo. Gone the same way as Google once they removed their 'do no evil' motto.

It keeps forcefully changing my search engine settings. Uninstalled.

started to censor searches just like google ect wow didnt see that coming :/

it's such a good web browser

I will not tolerate censorship or manipulation of search results so uninstalled it.

Duckduckgo is GREAT TO USE and is a lot better than Google search engine. With Google, you get 11,000+ search results and many times it is not what you want. With DuckDuckGo (DDG) you don't get all a few search results, you get what you are looking for. Google an d other search engines, get your information, and sell it. Then you get a lot of popup. With (DDG) I don't get a lot of popup, like I did with Google. In fact, with (DDG) AND Bitdefender Total Security with VPN, I don't get any annoying pop-ups, or advertisements, and can get work done! If YOU want a good search engine use DuckDuckGo ---- YOU WILL GET BETTER SEARCH RESULTS & A LOT LESS JUNK.

Fast and secure browser which I feel safe surfing around the internet on daily basis.

Disappointed with recent changes.

Worked just fine, however the company has decided it is appropriate to restrict search results. It is not the place of any search engine to determine what is "misinformation". As we have seen with COVID, it only takes 6 months for "misinformation" to be widely accepted fact. I am absolutely disgusted with DuckDuckGo and will never use their engine again in the future. Time to move on to someone else that respects my personal thoughts and autonomy.

Just removed chuckchukgo, they've gone google!! Can not stand to be censored!

Removed extension now that they are censoring search results. Regardless If I'm on their side on the topic, I don't want my searching being censored, Reason why I had searched to DDG in the first place.

EXTREMELY disgusted that Duck Duck Go is following in the censorship arena with Google! I will no longer be using this search engine if Duck Duck Go thinks that free speech is no more and feel the need to block things that Democratic Communists don't think should be able to be said, thought or read in our society.

What good is a search engine that decides what is or isn't misinformation. Uninstalled.

Just admitted they will be censoring their search results to alight with what ever political view they hold or is more favorable. Uninstalling... I was a user for years and I told everyone around me that they should use it as well if they want to find actual information without being lied to. That is no longer the case and now I'll tell everyone I can to stop using it. If you gain a user base by having ideals, protecting their privacy and not force feeding them targeted information, then decide that you will infact control what they should see and read then you will lose that exact same user base.

They are censoring information just like Google, Facebook and Twitter. I just removed their product from all my browsers. They betrayed you and everyone.

DDG has recently confirmed that they derank search results that they, and they alone, determine to be disinformation. Do not use this, if you want biased search results just go back to Google

I've used this extension for a while and it was alright but DuckDuckGo now has a censorship policy and if I wanted to have my search results screened then there would be no reason not to use google. I've switched to startpage.

removed 3 stars when they decided to start telling me what correct information is, i do not need help deciding what i think removing it from all my devices

Biased search engine. Cannot be trusted.

Big brother deciding what information you get to see

used to be an unbiased search engine, however the CEO has stated that they will filter results, if you're looking for a search engine that actually gives you the results you want I would look elsewhere.

Too bad DuckDuck has joined the misinformation censors, I will now go on to the next search engine promising freedom.

Im sorry, but once again im forced to ask another tech corp... who exactly died and left you to determine what is true news and what might or might not be fraudulent? Its scary that this is what the world has devolved into and what will probably eventually destroy societies around the world... digital fascist censorship.

Why bother with a alternate search engine when they just slide the results the same way google. good bye from a avid supporter of ddg, cowards.

Used it for the unbiased search results. Now that they're being filtered there's no need for me to use this. The thing that made DuckDuckGo stand out were the unbiased results. But that's gone now. “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” Guess it's the latter for DDG

Starting to behave like Google and censor search results now. Shame on you! Folks go use something else like Startpage. Will delete Duckduckgo from my browser after posting this review

I don't want my search engine altering results because they think i'm too stupid to think critically. This is partly why I stopped using Google and why i have now stopped using duckduckgo after 3 years as my default search engine on brave. Oh well. On to a company who doesn't treat their users like incompetent children.

You promised non biased news and views. Turns out your CEO @yegg just backtracked that statement in a tweet recently. Shame. But it is a good thing that your CEO is not as oblivious as Artesian Build's CEO lol

GIVE IT DARK MODE

Thank you DuckDuckGo

Supporting DuckDuckGo so that my privacy is preserved and not sold to greedy corporations. Please continue to support DDG and may all DDG owners and staff continue to improve the extension and the overall platform/search engine. Have been suggesting DDG to tens of thousands of my followers in various groups that I run. We gatta all squash the big brother search engines that work people for free and still steal their private info via cookies, etc and then also give backdoor to corrupt governments to spy on civilians (who voted them into power, but not to abuse the civilians). Big brother is always watching.

this extension is awesome i have been using the android app for years and now i'm using it on my pc tooo this extension for real block trackers go for it

A CORNERSTONE of conservative values. UNLIKE the mainstream media that is fundamentally anti-American. Thank you http://DuckDuck.com

Nice search engine. apparently, it collects location info and your user agent, still, thats mininam and they wont sale. the guy who created duckduckgo was previously ceo of a data collection company, maybe he changed? according to duckduckgo story, they became privacy respecting in 2010, ddg was created in 2008. another thing is that people think using ddg is the ultimate solution but it's not. first, stop using chrome, use brave or firefox.

So DDG On the site it shows how to change chrome search page to default DDG but dont mention the Chrome extension on the https://duckduckgo.com/app it only teaches you how to right click to change default to DDG search engine. After finding extension i dont really see big difference except it has the little rating visible on the top right.

They are a very discriminatory company can't work there as a white male. Don't use.

Duckduckgo is the best! Thank you.

Very good browser, not getting into detail as my dad knows more about private search engines and data tracking and all that. I would have to remove a star due to the fact that there is no dark mode or anyway to change the theme. it used to be a dark gray color but some reason changed and t the default white. On my MacBook it is gray but here it is not and I have to constantly be blinded every time I open chrome

Works most of the time but, the browser plug-in / extension called Privacy Essentials, winds up breaking a lot of websites - in particular, the log in process. I am finding a lot of errors and redirects due to this extension and some another website glitches that lead to page load errors and links and content missing. It's a good tool but, for me, I'm no longer going to continue using Privacy Essential. On my system running P.E. results in many issues such as user interoperability and compatibility issues with many websites. Not only that, it slows things way down and creates a browser lag. It's well done however and simple to use and add sites but, lately, i've been having to report one broken site after the next wherein, content and links to log in functionality is broken until disabling DDG's P.E.. I've been using the search engine DuckDuckGo (which is totally different than the browser plug-in / extension that one finds on the Chrome Web Store Privacy Essentials by the way) without issue since 2015-ish. But, the extension leaves a little to be desired due to the volume of disruptions in the work flow thus just impeding user experience. Maybe I'll come back to it later on and revisit it.

Changed default search to DuckDuckGo without asking - which for a company that talks about privacy, user-freedom is hypocritical. Quality of search results outside the US are pathetic.

How do you use it? I have it "enabled" in Chrome, but then what? I see screenshots on the DDG website showing reports on how many trackers were blocked, etc. but where do you go to see that? How do I know it's actually working? Nothing seems any different to me. Thank you.

Much needed search engine, in a world where every thing is being tracked. One thing I want the team to update though, when ever I search for stocks market information in Indian Stock market, I do not get the chart of price of any company, instead I have to enter some other website to look at charts. This was available in google search, I am would love the team to add this feature here as well.

non-political-agenda results. as they should be. basically think of it as "Google Classic". how Google was back in the good old 90s-early 2000s eras

The extension forces DuckDuckGo as the default search engine. If the extension is installed and active, it controls the default search engine. Whatever else it does for privacy, this control-freak stuff is annoying.

awesome ^^

I really like the ability to autogenerate a Duck email address, but the way it seizes control of the search bar is really annoying. DuckDuckGo is an average search engine at best and the adverts are hidden even more carefully in the search results than Google.

Even through it blocks many ads and protects my privacy, it's also a much nicer search engine than Google. More accurate results with less big corporations being listed first.

Please fix dark mode options in new tab mode it broke with a recent update and my dark mode extension works on everything else but DDG new tab feature. PLZ FIX THIS.... So annoying.....

Great stuff!

Do i have to explain it why?

ProtoGJ1

hijacks search engine for the whole browser, WITHOUT option to change it. Give users a choice, what's the point of forcing? All I need is option to generate emails with the new duck email protection. Duck search is useless. This kind of behavior is expected from big corporations, bundling everything together...

Does not provide increased functionality over their mediocre search page. Plus DDG has racist hiring practices.