I have been a long-time advocate for using duckduckgo as a preferred search engine and browser. I considered it a viable alternative to the Google empire, both because it maintains search privacy and does not track your browsing activities.

You can see from their own website just how enthusiastically they promote the importance they place on privacy and tracking-free browsing.

It turns out that duckduckgo may have been a little shy disclosing that it does allow one company to access your search information when using their browser…. Microsoft.

..while performing a security audit of the DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser, security researcher Zach Edwards discovered that while the browser blocks Google and Facebook trackers, it allowed Microsoft trackers to continue running.

BleepingComputer.com

Worse still, the agreement that duckduckgo has with Microsoft prohibits them from disclosing that any tracking is taking place.

You can read the whole backstory here.

CEO of duckduckgo responded on twitter:

For non-search tracker blocking (eg in our browser), we block most third-party trackers. Unfortunately our Microsoft search syndication agreement prevents us from doing more to Microsoft-owned properties. However, we have been continually pushing and expect to be doing more soon. For non-search tracker blocking (eg in our browser), we block most third-party trackers. Unfortunately our Microsoft search syndication agreement prevents us from doing more to Microsoft-owned properties. However, we have been continually pushing and expect to be doing more soon.

I use duckduckgo for my preferred browser on my iPad and iPhone, and I use their email service to anonymise many of my newsletter subscriptions etc.

It is just so annoying when you place your trust in a bit of tech and its proported attempts to make the internet a better ecosystem, only to find it has been on the BS express the entire time.