DuckDuckGo Denies Using Fingerprinting To Track Its Users (betanews.com)

Mark Wilson writes: Responding to a forum post that accused it of 'fingerprinting users', privacy-centric search engine DuckDuckGo says that fears are unfounded and that it is not tracking its users. The allegation was made after the Firefox extension CanvasBlocker showed a warning to users. The suggestion of fingerprinting -- gathering as much information as possible about a user through their browser to create a unique identifier that can be used for tracking -- is clearly something that would seem to sit in opposition to what DuckDuckGo claims to stand for. The company CEO says the accusation is simply wrong.

Comments

this is based on a forum post?

[GregMmm]

So, one guy on posts on a forum a certain API is being blocked by his Firefox extension CanvasBlocker. Not that the one individual has anything showing some tracking and data gathering, he just sees an API being used. Without any real evidence what so ever. Sounds like someone wants to sow seeds of mistrust at DuckDuckGo.

The problem with DuckDuckGo

[OneHundredAndTen]

The problem with DuckDuckGo is that, when it comes to searching, it simply sucks. I used it as my default search engine for a week, and I had to return to Google - the results from DuckDuckGo were very mediocre. Which is a shame, for I am really sick and tired of the Google bastards (Don't Be Evil? Assholes!) but DuckDuckGo will have to improve a heck of a lot before that quality of its search results is comparable to Google's.

Re:The problem with DuckDuckGo

[lgw]

The problem with DuckDuckGo is that, when it comes to searching, it simply sucks.

You post this every time DDG comes up, presumably b/c you're astroturfing for Google. You've never given an example, or shown anything but FUD. DDG's search results are fine.

Re:The problem with DuckDuckGo

[fbobraga]

results from DuckDuckGo were very mediocre

not lately to me: I migrated from google to exclusively DDG about a year ago

Re:Silly name

[OneHundredAndTen]

Because of the aforementioned not-tracking stuff? And the results are as good as Google.

In my experience they are not. Not even close. I wish I could ditch Google, but DuckDuckGo cannot (yet) fill Google's search shoes.

Re:Silly name

[Rockoon]

huh? Googles boolean qualifiers havent worked in literally years

Re:I think browsers allowing fingerprinting

[Actually, I do RTFA]

So a browser say wouldn't need to know the screen size?

A browser needs to know it to render properly. A website serving it certainly doesn't. And I have no idea why it would.

. A web app wouldn't need to know my timezone?

Why would it? And why would a website? Why would Slashdot? Or (choose a news site)? Or Reddit?

My browser's time (clock skew is an identifying attribute)?

Certainly not. Unlike timezone where a webapp might need to know it, knowing time isn't something that should be communicated client-to-server ever.

My host OS (you know, for suggesting the right download package for things)?

This is the only time you actually suggested a use case for the data you're collecting. That said, why does it need to get reported back to the server. The whole point you're making is that the site can display it on its own. So, again, it wouldn't be usable for fingerprinting if it stayed clientside

Again, NOT an exhaustive list. I can keep going.

Instead of just listing features, you should explain what benefit I get out of letting that data leak out of my browser. Cause I don't see it.

So you want to go back to the web of 1992.

Whoa. First, I would think 2002 would be far enough back. Second, the cool stuff that happened since then are things like embedded video/audio. Or CSS advances. I'm not sure what cool stuff's been enabled by new tech since then, rather than faster pipes and the smartphone form-factor.