DuckDuckGo Announces Cross Platform Alternative to Apple's Hide My Email

[MacRumors]

DuckDuckGo today announced its brand new Email Protection feature that will allow users to save themselves from being tracked by trackers embedded into emails by forwarding them to a free and personalized DuckDuckGo email before being sent to their actual email.

DuckDuckGo's Email Protection comes as an alternative to Apple's Hide My Email part of iCloud+, allowing users to direct emails for apps, websites, and services to a random ‌iCloud‌ email address before being sent to their actual address. This process means that apps and services never directly see a user's actual email, only their random ‌iCloud‌ address.

Apple has also introduced a similar feature as part of iOS 15 and macOS Monterey that hides a user's IP address and loads all content within an email, including "hidden pixels" for tracking in the background, through proxy servers. DuckDuckGo says its feature differs since it just removes trackers from an email before it's sent to a user, compared to Apple's approach which it claims sends "erroneous" user data back to a tracker's servers.

One of the largest cornerstones of DuckDuckGo's offering, compared to Apple's Hide My Email, is its cross-platform compatibility. Apple's Hide My Email will only work on Apple devices. At the same time, thanks to DuckDuckGo's browser extension and apps available on other platforms, DuckDuckGo's Email Protection is available no matter where a user chooses to browse the internet.

Choose your Duck Email Address (you@duck.com) and start giving it out. We remove hidden trackers from incoming emails sent to this address, then forward them to your regular inbox for safer reading. This means if you use an email service like Gmail or Yahoo, it’s no problem! Emails sent to your Personal Duck Address will arrive there as usual so you can read your email like normal, in any app or on the web, worry-free.

DuckDuckGo is pledging that it never saves a user's email and that even when emails are sent to its servers to be cleansed from trackers, that information remains private. DuckDuckGo is offering the new feature to a private group of beta testers, and those interested can join the waitlist.

Article Link: DuckDuckGo Announces Cross Platform Alternative to Apple's Hide My Email

 

[Goldfrapp]

I'm more bothered by the amount of spam calls I get on my phone number.

No existing laws, no fines on telcos, no third-party apps have alleviated the problem. It's only getting worse and worse every year.

How come we can land a rover on Mars but we can't stop spam calls???

 

[Sciomar]

This is great news, the more privacy focused companies the better.

 

[GIZBUG]

Another email address?????

 

[rictus007]

Next step would be to have the same thing for the phone number

 

[LeadingHeat]

DuckDuckGo says its feature differs since it just removes trackers from an email before it's sent to a user, compared to Apple's approach which it claims sends "erroneous" user data back to a tracker's servers.

I think I’d rather have the false (erroneous?) data sent back than nothing at all. That way they know it was blocked. Similar to the downfalls of PiHole sadly.

 

[MrENGLISH]

Next step would be to have the same thing for the phone number

I never give out my person number to anyone except friends and family. Everyone else gets my 10+ year old Google Voice number. And if I need to make a call to someone outside my core group, I use the Google Voice number. It has done a great job of filtering out unwanted calls for years.

 

[One2Grift]

This is great news, the more privacy focused companies the better.

Exactly right! Apple, now DDG ----- keep it going.

 

[One2Grift]

I'm more bothered by the amount of spam calls I get on my phone number.

No existing laws, no fines on telcos, no third-party apps have alleviated the problem. It's only getting worse and worse every year.

How come we can land a rover on Mars but we can't stop spam calls???

If SPAM calls to a phone is more concerning to you than data mining from a connection to the internet, you need a serious revaluation of priorities.

 

[contacos]

I'm more bothered by the amount of spam calls I get on my phone number.

No existing laws, no fines on telcos, no third-party apps have alleviated the problem. It's only getting worse and worse every year.

How come we can land a rover on Mars but we can't stop spam calls???

Here in Germany that thankfully does not seem to exist. Last time I bought a prepaid Sim card in the US, I kept getting calls from Cuba and was like wtf

 

[ddtmm]

This is awesome. I'm glad to see more companies onboard with privacy protection. We need more of this. Maybe Apple will open up their iCloud+ email to work outside Apple's hardware as well, though not holding my breath. I'm definitely signing on to this one.

 

[Darrensk8]

Absolutely love this. Can’t wait to give it a try

 

[EdT]

I'm more bothered by the amount of spam calls I get on my phone number.

No existing laws, no fines on telcos, no third-party apps have alleviated the problem. It's only getting worse and worse every year.

How come we can land a rover on Mars but we can't stop spam calls???

Because spam callers can afford to buy lawmakers but you can’t.

 

[NightFox]

If SPAM calls to a phone is more concerning to you than data mining from a connection to the internet, you need a serious revaluation of priorities.

I lost my Father a couple of years ago. He’d been a big Internet user over the last 20 years and didn’t take any measures to protect his privacy. Looking back now on what the personal negative impact of each was on his life: data mining from Internet usage - no impact whatsoever. Spam phone calls - caused him massive stress for many years.

 

[DeepIn2U]

I never give out my person number to anyone except friends and family. Everyone else gets my 10+ year old Google Voice number. And if I need to make a call to someone outside my core group, I use the Google Voice number. It has done a great job of filtering out unwanted calls for years.

You're assuming someone with constant spam calls 'gave out' their mobile number. Many numbers have been recycled over the years, even in cities like mine that have 6 area codes (416, 905, 647, 289, 226, and 289, more coming) split between landline and cellular numbers. Those with the latter, cellular lines, had previously been deployed and placed for only a VERY short time in a holding pattern where calls fail.

Register a business, your corporate contact number is public searchable by whatever name you've registered your business under.
Filled your taxes - then at least any government arm has access to that number.
Number was previously used before you getting it:
- any online service, any WhatsApp or other messaging service, etc that used that number ... NOW associates to you.

Worse if someone that had the number before you is going through some issues and you tell their family the number has changed owners and they don't readily believe you. Personally went through 40 people contacting girl before they convinced I'm a guy not their daughter, cousin, estranged wife, etc. Then there was pediatric health centre calling for her and oh yeah cops calling for her as well. they even stopped by because they didnt' believe me.

 

[DeepIn2U]

If SPAM calls to a phone is more concerning to you than data mining from a connection to the internet, you need a serious revaluation of priorities.

You've never heard of social engineering have you?

You need a serious re-evaluation of what you think data mining is or that a connection to the internet is required to mine your data (especially if it's already on the internet).

A phone call can:
allow certain recordings of your voice to be mimicked later.
allow confirmation of your number, which could be spoofed from a corporarate Cisco phone line with Caller Display for external calls to show from 'you'.
the line is active, again confirming YOU exist.
Social engineering can be done on a call to: determine city location were you live/work, employees key point of contact, security protocols, etc.

All this can be used to cripple your entire life in a matter of minutes with the right person doing it.

 

[nnoble]

To date almost all responses are positive; sending anonymous emails is good. What about being on the receiving end? I'd delete anonymous email in the same way I largely ignore mobile calls that show up as 'number withheld'.

 

[Sciomar]

You're assuming someone with constant spam calls 'gave out' their mobile number. Many numbers have been recycled over the years, even in cities like mine that have 6 area codes (416, 905, 647, 289, 226, and 289, more coming) split between landline and cellular numbers. Those with the latter, cellular lines, had previously been deployed and placed for only a VERY short time in a holding pattern where calls fail.

Register a business, your corporate contact number is public searchable by whatever name you've registered your business under.
Filled your taxes - then at least any government arm has access to that number.
Number was previously used before you getting it:
- any online service, any WhatsApp or other messaging service, etc that used that number ... NOW associates to you.

Worse if someone that had the number before you is going through some issues and you tell their family the number has changed owners and they don't readily believe you. Personally went through 40 people contacting girl before they convinced I'm a guy not their daughter, cousin, estranged wife, etc. Then there was pediatric health centre calling for her and oh yeah cops calling for her as well. they even stopped by because they didnt' believe me.

That sounds like a nightmare, hopefully they didn't think you had kidnapped her lol.

I'm an AT&T customer, their call filtering app has improved a lot. I recommend any customer of theirs to try it out.

 

[katbel]

Do you know that DuckDuckGo is owned/partnered by/with Microsoft? Maybe they want to do some good this time..
I wonder though
Gabriel Weinberg, the founder, has a history: check on Reddit or just google it or DDGit ?

Why People Should Never Ever Use DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo is another privacy abuser in disguise; the above forum thread enumerates key reasons

techrights.org

I'm afraid that our privacy is just a joke , sadly

 

[Unregistered 4U]

How come we can land a rover on Mars but we can't stop spam calls???

Because, even though most folks hang up or don’t pick up a spam call, the few that do make the WHOLE enterprise quite financially rewarding. As amazing as the rover is, it’s REALLY hard to use a rover on Mars in the same way.

 

[DesignTime]

I'm more bothered by the amount of spam calls I get on my phone number.

No existing laws, no fines on telcos, no third-party apps have alleviated the problem. It's only getting worse and worse every year.

How come we can land a rover on Mars but we can't stop spam calls???

Because there is more money in spam. Also because those in DC are too dumb to know or care. They probably need IT help to restart their iPhone 12 Pro Max.

 

[_Spinn_]

This is great.

 

[xxray]

Just when I thought I already couldn’t love DuckDuckGo any more

 

[RickDEGH]

Here in Germany that thankfully does not seem to exist. Last time I bought a prepaid Sim card in the US, I kept getting calls from Cuba and was like wtf

Exactly what I’m saying to myself, when I hear stories of spam calls in the US. It seems it’s unbearable. If I’m not exaggerating I’ve probably never in the last 3 years had a spam call here in Germany.

 

[MisterSavage]

This is great to have more options for fake email addrs. Back in the day I used one where you could create ones on the fly. I used one for a Home Depot account (and ONLY a Home Depot account) and started getting lots of spam to that address.