DuckDuckGo, a browser app, has rolled out a new App Tracking Protection feature for Android, aiming to safeguard user privacy by blocking third-party trackers in apps and games.
After a year in beta, DuckDuckGo’s App Tracking Protection is now live for all Android users, functioning offline without sending any data to servers, including DuckDuckGo’s.
Upon activation, users receive daily notifications for a week about blocked tracking attempts, which later switch to weekly reports.
Certain apps like browsers, Android Auto, YouTube, and WhatsApp are not covered by default protection due to possible functionality issues.
How To Use App Tracking Protection
Install the app from the Google Play Store. Open the app, go to settings via the three-dot menu, and navigate to ‘Privacy’ to activate ‘App Tracking Protection.’
Once activated, the phone will guide users to set up a VPN connection for this feature. DuckDuckGo’s feature locally monitors network traffic, differing from Apple’s implementation, which requires developers to halt tracking once activated.
