DuckDuckGo’s private web browser is now available on Mac

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For more than a decade now, DuckDuckGo has been trying to put users’ privacy at the forefront with its private search engine. Now, the company is taking things a step further with the release of its new private DuckDuckGo web browser on Mac.

What started as a private search engine has now evolved into a full-fledged web browser. With its new browser, DuckDuckGo is looking to rival the giant, Google Chrome. DuckDuckGo previously launched a browser for Android and iOS. But now the company is looking to bring its browser to Mac desktops.

Google Chrome boasts an overwhelming majority of web browser users, with 67 percent of desktop users preferring Chrome. But Google also collects a massive amount of user data through both its web browser and search engine. And that’s what DuckDuckGo is trying to compete with.

READ MORE: DuckDuckGo now offers free email protection for everyone

READ MORE: DuckDuckGo is tracking you even though it is a ‘private’ browser

The new DuckDuckGo web browser features the private DuckDuckGo search engine as a default. It also blocks ad trackers on websites and tells you how many it has blocked. The browser has several more privacy features and, unlike Google, its default settings are the most private options.

And, by not loading so many trackers, the company says its web browser performs fast. It’s apparently even faster than Chrome in some situations.

Right now, the DuckDuckGo browser features a pretty limited availability. The browser is in a beta period on Mac and you have to sign up for the waitlist before you can get the new browser.

The company will likely use this beta period to iron out any bugs or finalize any features. The company didn’t share much about a potential Windows version of the browser but said that we’ll hear more about that later this year.

DuckDuckGo has a tough task ahead of it, trying to sway users away from Google’s Chrome browser. It will be interesting to see how many people prefer DuckDuckGo’s privacy features once the browser becomes available to more users.

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