DuckDuckGo calls Google search for “spying” on users after privacy tags go live

Over the past few weeks, Google has added app privacy tags to its iOS apps, according to Apple Store App rules, but it took Google several months to start sharing information.

It has been speculated that Google’s delay would mean something to hide, which DuckDuckGo leans into with a new tweet highlighting the collection of Google data and asking the company to “spy” on users.

Google recently added application privacy tags to its Google search appliance, stating the extent of the information collected. For third-party advertising purposes, Google collects data that includes your location, search history, and browsing history. Google’s own marketing data includes all of the above information, along with contact information and device identifiers, plus there’s more data collected for analytics, application functionality, and product customization.

DuckDuckGo claims that Google “wanted to hide” the information it collects, which is why Google took so long to launch support for application privacy tags. Most people may not be surprised by the amount of data Google collects, but having them in one place in the “App Store” is a very clear reminder.

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 Google has been delaying adding tags for so long that its apps have been out of date for more than two months.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

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