DuckDuckGo, known for its strong stance on user privacy, is rolling out new features aimed at enhancing both privacy and safety for its users. These include an AI image filter and improved scam blocking capabilities.
One of the most notable additions is the AI image filter. This feature allows users to filter out AI-generated images from their search results, addressing concerns about the increasing prevalence of synthetic content online. Users can enable the filter through a dropdown menu in the image search tab or within the search settings. DuckDuckGo is also offering a dedicated AI-free URL (noai.duckduckgo.com) that automatically disables all first-party AI features. The AI filter relies on community-built, open-source blocklists curated by projects like uBlockOrigin and uBlacklist, which contain lists of websites and image sources known for distributing AI-generated images. While DuckDuckGo acknowledges that the filter may not catch every AI-generated image, it significantly reduces the number of synthetic images displayed in search results. This move aligns with DuckDuckGo's vision for AI features to be "private, useful, and optional," giving users greater control over the content they see.
In addition to the AI image filter, DuckDuckGo has enhanced its Scam Blocker feature. This tool is designed to protect users from various online threats, including phishing sites, malware, fake e-commerce stores, and cryptocurrency scams. DuckDuckGo's Scam Blocker now targets an expanded range of threats, including sham e-commerce platforms, fake cryptocurrency exchanges, and scareware that falsely alarms users about nonexistent device viruses. It also guards against phishing attempts, malware sites, and tracker-driven malvertising. When a user navigates to a flagged site, Scam Blocker displays a warning message and prevents the page from loading, providing a safe exit option.
Unlike other browsers that rely on services like Google's Safe Browsing, DuckDuckGo has developed its own anonymous solution that does not send user data to third parties. DuckDuckGo uses a feed of malicious site URLs from Netcraft, an independent cybersecurity company, and updates this list every 20 minutes. The Scam Blocker feature is available for free on DuckDuckGo's desktop and mobile browsers. For Privacy Pro subscribers, full-device protection is extended across all browsers via DuckDuckGo's VPN.
DuckDuckGo has long championed user privacy, offering a search engine and browser that do not track user data or browsing history. The company does not store personal information, collect IP addresses, or use tracking cookies. DuckDuckGo also uses encryption to protect search queries and results. These features, combined with the new AI image filter and enhanced Scam Blocker, reinforce DuckDuckGo's commitment to providing a safer and more private online experience.
