Today, many web browser companies offer VPNs, including Google, Mozilla, and Opera. DuckDuckGo is the latest company to join the fray, with its Privacy Pro plan including three services. In addition to a VPN, you can get personal information deletion and identity theft recovery services for $10 per month or $100 per year. This subscription is currently only available in the United States. Privacy Pro functionality is built directly into the DuckDuckGo browser, so you don’t need to install a separate application.
DuckDuckGo says it does not keep VPN logs to help maintain user privacy. As such, it says that “nothing you do while connected to DuckDuckGo VPN can be tied to you as an individual, or to anything else you do on DuckDuckGo (such as searching).” DuckDuckGo uses the open-source WireGuard protocol to encrypt your traffic and route it through a VPN server. Currently, the company has VPN servers in the United States, Europe, and Canada. It plans to add more over time.
One subscription covers up to five desktop and mobile devices. Instead of using an account, you will have a random ID that needs to be kept safe. If you’d like, you can add an email address to make it easier to authorize across devices. However, you don’t need to provide any personally identifiable information to DuckDuckGo – the company is using Stripe, Google Play and the Apple App Store to process payments.
DuckDuckGo’s focus on protecting user privacy extends to the personal information removal tool, which can remove details such as your full name, home address and birthday from people search sites and data brokering services. The details you provide during setup will remain on your device, and you can request deletion of your personal information directly from your desktop (currently, you need a Windows or Mac computer to set up and manage the Personal Information Removal Tool) .
DuckDuckGo says this is a first of its kind because your details are not stored on a remote server. To help it build the tool, DuckDuckGo purchased the data removal service Removaly in 2022. The Personal Information Removal Service will periodically re-scan people’s search sites and data brokers to see if your information pops up again and handle it accordingly.
As for identity theft recovery services, DuckDuckGo will connect you with advisors from its partner Iris if your identity has been stolen. Advisors will assist in recovering any stolen accounts and financial losses, as well as repairing your credit report. Additionally, they can help you cancel and replace important documents such as driving licenses, bank cards, and passports. Iris can also provide you with a cash advance if you’re away from home and in trouble due to identity theft.
Likewise, you are not required to provide any personal information in advance. You will only need to provide these details to your advisor if you need assistance after your identity has been stolen.
Expanding privacy protections through these services is a logical way for DuckDuckGo to try to increase its profits. Privacy Pro’s price also seems reasonable compared to some alternatives — Mozilla’s personal information deletion service alone costs $9 a month.
