DuckDuckGo – a search engine and browser that has long been associated with privacy and data protection – has announced a new feature that will block one of the most common pop ups web users are likely to see: Sign in with Google.
The company cites Reddit (opens in new tab), Zillow (opens in new tab), and Booking.com (opens in new tab) as some sites that often present this Google pop-up, usually upon first loading the web pages.
It says that, with its updated mobile apps or its Firefox, Chrome, Brave, and Edge extensions, users will be “spared from these disruptive and misleading pop-ups” in an effort to present a “cleaner experience and more privacy.”
DuckDuckGo blocks Sign in with Google
It’s more than just the removal of annoying pop-ups, though, according to DuckDuckGo.
In a press release, the company explained that allowing Google to link your account to browsing history is yet “another way for Google to track users without them realizing”, to the point that a lawsuit (opens in new tab) against the collection of browsing history, cookies, and other site data has been created.
DuckDuckGo reckons that Google could be pitching this to web developers as a ‘win-win’, allowing them to present more relevant, targeted ads, thus generating more revenue for the websites. In turn, Google is thought to be collecting vast amounts of data.
The update is expected to roll out to iOS and Android versions of the browser soon, as well as the company’s extensions for many popular desktop web browsers. It’s likely that it will also form part of the full release of the macOS app, which is currently in public beta, and the Windows app, which is expected to reach public beta stage in the coming weeks.
Google is yet to respond to TechRadar Pro about how this change will affect its operations.
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