DuckDuckGo calls out Google over user data collection

'Spying has nothing to do with building a great web browser or search engine,' said the Google rival

Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo has criticised Google over its data collection on iOS, as Apple's new privacy labels have made the practice more transparent.

Apple introduced privacy labels in December last year, making it mandatory for app developers to disclose the type of user data they collect. The labels are displayed on app pages in the iOS App Store, with the intent being that people will be able to make better decisions about whether to install an app.

After months of delay, Google recently started pushing updates to its app suite on the App Store. The associated privacy label updates revealed that Google Chrome collects a range of data from users, including their browsing history, location data, device and user IDs, crash data, payment information, usage data from product interactions. It also collects various other types of data for analytics, as well as app functionality.

Similarly, Google's Search app collects search history, browsing history, location details, usage data listing advertising data, email address, photos, videos, advertising data and product interactions, to name a few.

DuckDuckGo has launched an attack on Google, accusing the firm of 'spying' on users.

DuckDuckGo says Google tried its best to hide its data collection practices, until it was no longer possible for them to keep it private.

'After months of stalling, Google finally revealed how much personal data they collect in Chrome and the Google app. No wonder they wanted to hide it,' DuckDuckGo said in a series of tweets.

'Spying on users has nothing to do with building a great web browser or search engine. We would know (our app is both in one).'

Google is the most popular search engine worldwide. Hundreds of millions of people use the firm's apps, including Gmail, Chrome and Google Search, every day.

While attacking Google, DuckDuckGo highlighted the fact that it is the second most downloaded mobile browser in the US (after Chrome), and is focused on user privacy rather than data collection.

DuckDuckGo claims it 'doesn't collect any data' linked to users.

Google made headlines (again) recently, after a federal judge rejected its motion to dismiss a class-action lawsuit against it. The lawsuit accuses the company of collecting users' data even when using Chrome's Incognito mode.

Filed in June 2020, the complaint seeks at least $5 billion (£3.6 billion) in compensation, or $5,000 (about £3,615) per violation - for 'likely' millions of users.

In her ruling, Lucy Koh, a judge for the northern district of California, wrote that the company had failed to notify plaintiffs that it would be engaging in the alleged data collection while they were in private browsing mode.

Last year, Google said that it would phase out support for third-party cookies by 2022. Earlier this month, the search giant also revealed plans to stop selling ads that rely on users' web browsing history - a move that could push the digital advertising industry away from the use of individualised tracking, but risks bringing the adtech industry into Google's walled garden.