Reportedly, 87% of the apps send user data to Google, while 68% send it to Facebook. But now you can take control over it via a new feature introduced by DuckDuckGo. The new tool by the company will stop apps from tracking Android users. Let’s take the feature into detail.
The news was revealed via the official blog post by DuckDuckGo. According to the company, the tool will block “trackers it identifies in other apps from third-party companies.”
The new privacy feature is in-built in DuckDuckGo’s privacy-focused browser app and works across Android devices. Keep in note that neither the tool is not rolling out as a part of an update nor you can download it separately.
Once the users enable the App Tracking Protection, the app will run in the background as you use your phone. The feature will automatically identify when an app is about to send your data to a third-party tracker. Moreover, it will prevent the app to do so.
In addition, you can also see a real-time view of trackers that the tool has blocked and where your data would’ve been going. “We are continually working to identify and protect against new trackers, so you can rest easy knowing you’re getting the most up-to-date protection,” says the company.
Furthermore, the company adds that the feature isn’t a VPN, but will act like one. “This is because App Tracking Protection uses a local ”VPN connection” which means that it works its magic right on your smartphone. However, App Tracking Protection is different from VPNs because it never routes app data through an external server,” DuckDuckGo explained.