DuckDuckGo calls on Google search to “spy” on users after privacy tags are posted

Over the past few weeks, Google has been adding app privacy tags to its iOS apps in accordance with Apple’s App Store rules, but it took Google several months to start sharing information.

It was speculated that Google’s delay meant it had something to hide, which DuckDuckGo leans into with a new tweet highlighting Google’s data collection and calling on the company to “spy” on users.

Google recently added app privacy tags to its Google search appliance, explaining the scope of the information that was collected. For the purpose of third-party advertising, Google collects data including location, search history, and browsing history. Google’s own marketing data includes all of the above information, along with contact information and device identifiers, as well as even more data for analytics, application functionality, and product customization.

DuckDuckGo claims that Google “wanted to hide” the information it collected, which is why it took so long for Google to implement support for application privacy tags. Most people may not be surprised at the extent of the data that Google collects, but having them at one point in the “app store” is a reminder.

Many of Google’s top apps didn’t start getting privacy tags until late February, even though Apple’s rule went into effect in December. Google delayed adding tags for so long that its apps went more than two months out of date. Even now, it’s been three months since the Google Maps app was updated, though most other apps have received updates and app privacy tags.

DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused search and browser option that is available on iOS devices and can be set as the default search engine option. As DuckDuckGo points out in his tweet, the DuckDuckGo app does not collect data that is linked to you.