Pro Se

Pro Se analysisAnalysed on

DuckDuckGo Browser, Search, AI

Moderate overall compliance, with 2 red flags.

The policy scores 72 out of 100 and is graded D. It describes collecting 6 categories of personal data and sharing it with 3 third parties. 5 topics a privacy policy is expected to cover are not addressed.

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Source policy: duckduckgo.com

Pro Se rating: 72 out of 100, Moderate

72Moderate

Pro Se Rating
Privacy grade
Grade D
Overall score
72/100
Data categories
6 collected
Third parties
3 shared
Red flags
2 found

Critical attention required

Red flags identified

Our analysis flagged 2 points of concern in DuckDuckGo Browser, Search, AI's privacy policy: Vague Language and Ambiguity and Undefined Retention Timeframes.

Vague Language and Ambiguity

Analyze outcome:

2/27

Use of broad or unclear terms that provide the service with excessive leeway in data handling.

Undefined Retention Timeframes

Analyze outcome:

2/27

Absence of specified periods for data retention or reasons for keeping data.

What data is collected?

6 of 16Categories of personal data the policy says are collected.

  • Computer Information

    IP address, browser type and version, operating system, and device identifiers.

  • Employment Information

    Details about employment status or history if relevant.

  • Contact Information

    Phone numbers, email addresses, and other contact points.

  • User Online Activities

    Information about how users interact with a website or application, such as browsing history, search queries, and usage patterns.

  • Location

    GPS data, IP address-based location, and other geolocation data.

  • Communications

    Content of user communications through messaging services or support channels.

Data shared with third parties

3Organisations the policy says data is shared with.

  • ChatGPT

  • Claude

  • Microsoft

Purpose of data collection

8 of 10Understand why your data is requested.

  • Communication

    Organizations often collect contact information to communicate with users, such as sending transactional emails, updates, newsletters, or responding to inquiries.

  • User Feedback and Surveys

    Collecting user feedback and conducting surveys can help organizations understand user needs and satisfaction levels.

  • Service Provision

    Data is often collected to provide and improve the services or products that users have requested. This could involve using personal data for account creation, service delivery, or customer support.

  • Security and Fraud Prevention

    Information might be collected to protect against and detect fraud, unauthorized activities, and other security threats.

  • Marketing and Advertising

    With user consent, data may be used for marketing purposes, such as targeting advertisements or promotions to users who might find them relevant.

  • Legal Compliance

    Organizations may need to collect data to comply with legal obligations, such as maintaining records for regulatory purposes or responding to legal requests.

  • Research and Development

    Data might be used for research and development to innovate and develop new features, technologies, or services.

  • Analytics and Improvement

    Data is used to analyze how users interact with a service or product. This helps in improving user experience, addressing issues, and making informed business decisions.

Data retention periods

3How long the policy says data is kept.

  • User-Controlled Retention

    Information that users have control over in terms of when or if it is deleted, such as data stored in user accounts that can be deleted by user action.

  • Immediate Deletion

    Data that is deleted immediately or as soon as it is no longer needed for processing, such as session data that does not persist beyond a logout.

  • Regulatory Compliance

    Data retained specifically to meet regulatory requirements, where laws dictate specific timeframes, such as tax records or data related to legal disputes.

Mobile app permission concerns

3Based on the permissions the application requests, beyond what the policy states it collects.

  • Cookies and Tracking Elements

    Information collected through cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies used to track user behavior and preferences online.

  • Personal Identifier

    Data that can be used to identify an individual, such as name, email address, phone number, and government-issued IDs.

  • Biometric Data

    Fingerprints, facial recognition data, or other biometric identifiers.

Your rights

3 of 7 grantedWhat the policy says about your data protection rights.
  • Right to access your dataYes
  • Right to erasureYes
  • Right to correct your dataNot stated
  • Right to data portabilityNot stated
  • Right to object to processingNot stated
  • Right to restrict processingNot stated
  • Right to withdraw consentYes

What the policy does not address

5Topics a privacy policy is expected to cover that this one leaves out.
  • Right to correct your data
  • Right to data portability
  • Right to object to processing
  • Right to restrict processing
  • When users are told about changes

Security measures applied to protect the data

5 of 11Technical and organisational safeguards the policy describes for protecting your data.

  • Data Access Limitation

    Access to personal data is restricted to the staff and systems that need it, for example through role-based permissions.

  • Secure Data Storage

    Personal data is kept in protected systems, such as secured data centers or encrypted databases.

  • Generic Security Assurances

    The policy states that data is protected but does not describe the specific measures used.

  • Secure Data Transfer

    Data is protected while it moves between devices and servers, typically over encrypted connections.

  • Encryption

    Data is encoded so that only authorized parties can read it, in storage, in transit, or both.

How will users be notified about privacy policy changes

2 of 8The channels and methods used to communicate privacy policy updates to users.

  • Update in Privacy Policy Document

    The revised policy is published, usually with a new "last updated" date, and users are expected to check it themselves.

  • Website Announcement

    A notice is posted on the service's website, such as a banner or a news page.

2 of 6The lawful grounds under which your personal data is collected and processed.

  • Legal Obligation

    Processing is needed to comply with a law the organization is subject to.

  • Consent

    The user has agreed to the processing of their personal data for one or more specific purposes.

Children's data

What the policy says about collecting data from children.

  • Addresses data from children

    Whether the policy specifically covers how data from children and minors is handled.

    Yes

  • Collects data from children

    Whether the policy says the service collects personal data from children.

    No

  • Minimum age

    The age below which the policy says personal data is not collected.

    13 years

  • Age for consent

    The age the policy gives for obtaining consent to process a child's data.

    0 years

Contact information

Reach out to the data controller for questions, requests, or concerns about your personal data.
Website
www.duckduckgo.com
Company name
DuckDuckGo

About this application

Platform
Android
Application id
com.duckduckgo.mobile.android
Category
Productivity
Store listing
Store page