# DuckDuckGo

> Source: https://fuckyc.org/services/duckduckgo/
> Website: https://duckduckgo.com/
> Categories: Search engines
> KYC: none — No account required for search; the assistant and email-forward products are account-based.
> Status: active
> Jurisdiction: United States (operator-disclosed)
> Fiat on-ramp: no
> Founded: 2008
> Open source: no
> Custodial: no
> Last verified: 2026-01-01

## Verdict

DuckDuckGo is the default no-account privacy-leaning search engine. Index is Bing-derived; the privacy claim is about not profiling, not about an independent crawl. For users who want a no-account search and accept Bing-derived results, DDG is the default.

## Strengths

- Long-running search without per-user profiling.
- Onion service (duckduckgogg42xjoc72x3sjasowoarfbgcmvfimaftt6twagswzczad.onion) supported.
- Email-forward and tracker-blocker products extend the search-side privacy posture.

## Caveats

- Index is largely Bing-derived; some long-tail queries differ from independent indexes.
- U.S. operator.
- Facts need re-verification by operator (last seeded 2026-01).

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## What DuckDuckGo is

A privacy-policy-driven search engine using Bing as its primary index plus its own crawler.

## Threat-model fit

No-account default search.

## Sources

- [DuckDuckGo privacy policy](https://duckduckgo.com/privacy) — accessed 2026-01-01
- [DuckDuckGo help](https://help.duckduckgo.com/) — accessed 2026-01-01