My experience with DuckDuckGo's App Tracking Protection feature
DuckDuckGo added an app tracking protection feature to its Android application, also called DuckDuckGo, back in November 2021. The feature blocks tracking attempts system-wide on the Android device when enabled.
The feature was made available to some users only, and users had to enter a queue to get access to it; this seems to be the case still at the time of writing. I received my acceptance some time ago and have been using the feature since then on a Google Pixel 3a device (which I will replace next year, as Google will end support for it then).
The article that you are reading describes my experience with the feature and app. Did it block trackers on the device? Did I notice any issues while using it, e.g. apps that did not work properly?
The DuckDuckGo application needs to be installed on the Android device for the feature to work. Users need to enable it in the settings of the app and allow it to be used as a virtual private network on the device; this is necessary for it to block trackers locally on the device. The main difference between a "real" VPN app that runs on the device and DuckDuckGo's App Tracking is that the latter is active locally only.
The privacy feature works in the background from that moment on. You may notice the VPN icon of the Android device, which Android displays when VPN connections are active. DuckDuckGo's app displays notifications if trackers are blocked, and you may check the history of blocked trackers in the application.
I use the Android test device lightly only, and have only a few apps installed on it. DuckDuckGo blocked 430 tracking attempts of 10 applications in the past week. The activity history lists the names of the applications and the trackers that it attempted to use. The listing is useful, as it may uncover tracking attempts by apps.
DuckDuckGo's application includes options to enable or disable the protection for specific applications. In fact, some apps, including Amazon Shopping, browsers or Google News, are whitelisted and not blocked by default because of "known issues". The protection can be enabled or disabled manually, but there is no guarantee that an app will work correctly if you enable the protection if it is listed as having known issues.
Some apps did not work properly after I enabled the protective features manually, others did work but some functionality that I did not use might not work correctly. It is worth a try though to find out if all functionality that you use continues to work.
Closing Words
DuckDuckGo's tracker blocking feature works well on Android devices, but some apps are whitelisted and DuckDuckgo admits that the feature won't block all trackers, only those known by the application. Options to add custom lists would be welcome to improve the protection system-wide.
Users who don't trust DuckDuckGo won't use the functionality, but there are alternatives, such as AdGuard, which users may use instead. The highlighting of tracker use in apps may convince some users to uninstall some of the offending apps on their devices. It is often as convenient to access websites directly in a browser on the device instead of using an application for the purpose.
Now You: do you use privacy protection apps or services on your devices?
Uhh, this has already been possible – I am not sure how but remember my brother telling me about it. I’m not a whatsapp user so not sure of the specifics, but something about sending the image as a file and somehow bypassing the default compression settings that are applied to inbound photos.
He has also used this to share movies to whatsapp groups, and files 1Gb+.
Like I said, I never used whatsapp, but I know 100% this isn’t a “brand new feature”, my brother literally showed me him doing it, like… 5 months ago?
Martin, what happened to those: 12 Comments (https://www.ghacks.net/chatgpt-gets-schooled-by-princeton-university/#comments). Is there a specific justifiable reason why they were deleted?
Hmm, it looks like the gHacks website database is faulty, and not populating threads with their relevant cosponsoring posts.
The page on ghacks this is on represents the best of why it has become so worthless, fill of click-bait junk that it’s about to be deleted from my ‘daily reads’.
It’s really like “Press Release as re-written by some d*ck for clicks…poorly.” And the subjects are laughable. Can’t wait for “How to search for files on Windows”.
> The page on ghacks this is on represents the best of why it has become so worthless, fill of click-bait junk…
Sadly, I have to agree.
Only Martin and Ashwin are worth subscribing to.
Especially Emre Çitak and Shaun are the worst ones.
If ghacks.net intended “Clickbait”, it would mark the end of Ghacks Technology News.
Ghacks doesn’t need crappy clickbaits. Clearly separate articles from newer authors (perhaps AIs and external sales person or external advertising man) as just “Advertisements”!
We, the subscribers of Ghacks, urge Martin to make a decision.
because nevermore wants to “monetize” on every aspect of human life…
“Threads” is like the Walmart of Social Media.
How hard can it be to clone a twitter version of that as well? They’re slow.
Yes, why not mention how large the HD files can be?
Why, not mention what version of WhatsApp is needed?
These omissions make the article feel so bare. If not complete.
Sorry posted on the wrong page.
such a long article for such a simple matter. Worthless article ! waste of time
I already do this by attaching them via the ‘Document’ option.
I don’t know what’s going on here at Ghacks but it’s obvious that something is broken, comments are being mixed whatever the article, I am unable to find some of my later posts neither. :S
Quoting the article,
“As users gain popularity, the value of their tokens may increase, allowing investors to reap rewards.”
Besides, beyond the thrill and privacy risks or not, the point is to know how you gain popularity, be it on social sites as everywhere in life. Is it by being authentic, by remaining faithful to ourselves or is it to have this particular skill which is to understand what a majority likes, just like politicians, those who’d deny to the maximum extent compatible with their ideological partnership, in order to grab as many of the voters they can?
I see the very concept of this Friend.tech as unhealthy, propagating what is already an increasing flaw : the quest for fame. I won’t be the only one to count himself out, definitely.
@John G. is right : my comment was posted on [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/08/23/what-is-friend-tech/] and it appears there but as well here at [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/07/08/how-to-follow-everyone-on-threads/]
This has been lasting for several days. Fix it or at least provide some explanations if you don’t mind.
> Google Chrome is following in Safari’s footsteps by introducing a new feature that allows users to move the Chrome address bar to the bottom of the screen, enhancing user accessibility and interaction.
Firefox did this long before Safari.
Basically they’ll do anything except fair royalties.