How to test and use the new DuckDuckGo private browser for the Mac

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The privacy-minded DuckDuckGo leads a full life as a search engine, a web browser extension and a mobile app. With the DuckDuckGo browser for macOS, you can obstruct third-party trackers, disable cookies, turn on HTTPS for sites and tighten up other security and personal privacy through the browser settings.

DuckDuckGo is now readily available as an internet browser in beta testing mode for macOS. Heres how to utilize it to protect your online personal privacy.

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DuckDuckGo is now in beta testing for macOS with a Windows variation promised later on in 2022. As such, you currently must request an invite to utilize the Mac variation. To do this, download and install the DuckDuckGo mobile app for iOS or Android. Go to Settings, choose DuckDuckGo for Desktop, and after that tap the button for Join the Private Waitlist.
When youre granted access, youll get a notice in the app offering a URL where you can download the program along with a welcome code to get in. Click Continue and then click Get Started.
The DuckDuckGo web browser opens and uses to assist you begin utilizing it. Click the Get Started button (Figure A).
Figure A
Next, you can set DuckDuckGo as your default web browser. By default, the browser allows trackers owned by whatever site you go to but blocks ones from third party sites.
SEE: Feature comparison: Time tracking software application and systems (TechRepublic Premium).
Surf to a site that usually would try to monitor you using third-party trackers. Click the DuckDuckGo shield icon at the start of the address field. The feature tells you how many trackers were obstructed (Figure B).
Figure B.
Click the entry for Trackers obstructed to see which ones were permitted and which were obstructed (Figure C).
Figure C.
Continue searching to various websites. To see a list of all the websites youve browsed along with the tracking data, open a new tab. The page informs you the number of tracking attempts were blocked overall and the number of for each website (Figure D).
Figure D.
As you continue to browse more sites, cookies and other searching data are gathered. To eliminate them all in one fell swoop, click the fire icon in the upper right and after that click the Got it button. At the next screen, click the Details arrow to see which websites will be included in this purge and then click the Clear button (Figure E).
Figure E.
You can tweak certain privacy settings for the DuckDuckGo internet browser. Click the setting for Privacy. By default, the web browser gets rid of cookies for websites that you check out.
SEE: Windows, Linux, and Mac commands everybody needs to understand (complimentary PDF) (TechRepublic).
Next, lots of websites will ask you if you wish to enable cookies. The DuckDuckGo web browser can instantly spot these types of consent notices and set your choices to decrease cookies. For this, inspect package for Cookie Consent Pop-ups.
Worldwide Privacy Control, or GPC, is a requirements under the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA) and Europes Global Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) through which you can tell websites not to track you or offer or share your individual information. DuckDuckGo is among the few browsers that directly supports GPC. To enable this alternative, inspect the box for Global Privacy Control (GPC) (Figure F).
Figure F.

The privacy-minded DuckDuckGo leads a full life as a search engine, an internet browser extension and a mobile app. With the DuckDuckGo browser for macOS, you can block third-party trackers, disable cookies, turn on HTTPS for sites and tighten up other security and personal privacy by means of the web browser settings. You can modify certain privacy settings for the DuckDuckGo browser. The DuckDuckGo web browser can immediately discover these types of permission alerts and set your preferences to reduce cookies. DuckDuckGo is one of the few internet browsers that directly supports GPC.

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