Trust Index · Search and AI
DuckDuckGo gets an A. Here's what loads before you agree
Checked October 25, 2026 in a US browser, with no choice made on any banner.
Grade A
duckduckgo.com
92/100
- Online since 2007, 18 years
- No consent banner seen
- Built with Next.js
Consent and tracking100
Security90
Accessibility84
Transparency95
What cost it points
- medium
The bare address can open an unencrypted page.
- low
No stated way to report a barrier.
- low
Headings don't outline the page.
- low
Keyboard users can't skip the menu.
- low
No published way to report a security hole.
What loaded before you chose
Third-party trackers that fired before any choice, across 2 visits.
- Ad trackers
- None
- Analytics
- None
- Cookies before a choice
- 0
- Session recording
- None
- Consent banner
- None
- Opt-out link
- Yes
The fine print
- Terms of use
- 6 min read (opens in a new tab) · 1,385 words
- Privacy policy
- 9 min read (opens in a new tab) · 2,248 words
- Forced arbitration
- Not found
- Class-action waiver
- Not found
- AI in the privacy policy
- None
- Accessibility statement
- No
Read automatically, so unusual wording can be missed. Not scored.
Security
- HTTPS
- Yes, no redirect
- HSTS
- Yes
- Content-Security-Policy
- Yes
- Framing blocked
- Yes
- Secret keys in code
- None
- security.txt
- No
Not an audit or legal advice. Run duckduckgo.com? Tell us what changed. How we grade
Search and AI
Get your own site to an A
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