DuckDuckGo Introduces Subscription for VPN and Identity Theft Protection

DuckDuckGo Introduces Privacy Pro Subscription Service

A Comprehensive Package for Online Privacy and Security

On Thursday, DuckDuckGo, a company known for its focus on consumer privacy, unveiled its new Privacy Pro subscription service. The bundle, priced at $9.99 per month or $99 annually, includes a VPN, personal information removal, and identity theft restoration. Currently, the service is only available to users in the United States.

Expanding Revenue Streams

While DuckDuckGo has been profitable since 2014, relying primarily on ad revenue, the introduction of the subscription service marks the company’s first step towards integrating a subscription model into its browser. This move opens up a new revenue stream for the company.

Image Credits: DuckDuckGo

Robust VPN Protection

The Privacy Pro subscription utilizes the open-source WireGuard protocol for its VPN service, ensuring user anonymity while browsing the web. Additionally, all DNS queries are directed through DuckDuckGo’s proprietary DNS resolvers, preventing internet service providers (ISPs) from monitoring users’ browsing history.

Personal Information Removal

DuckDuckGo’s personal information removal service scans numerous data broker sites for users’ personal details, such as their name and address. If the service detects any such information, it initiates removal requests and handles all necessary email correspondence with the data brokers.

Image Credits: DuckDuckGo

This feature is an extension of the technology developed by Removaly, a startup that DuckDuckGo acquired in 2022. At the time of the acquisition, Removaly’s founder, Kyle Krzeski, announced on X that a privacy company had acquired the startup, without revealing the name.

Identity Theft Restoration

The third component of DuckDuckGo’s Privacy Pro plan is identity theft restoration. In the event of identity-related losses, a dedicated advisor will provide round-the-clock assistance to help users recover. This includes addressing financial losses, correcting credit reports (including freezing reports until the identity is restored), and replacing or canceling items such as driver’s licenses, bank cards, and passports. The recovery agent will work closely with the user, handle all formalities, and follow up with relevant companies.

Image Credits: DuckDuckGo

Commitment to User Privacy

To ensure user privacy, DuckDuckGo maintains no logs of users’ VPN activity, stores personal information removal data on the local device, and assigns a random ID to users when they sign up for the Privacy Pro service.

Recent Developments and Market Share

Earlier this year, DuckDuckGo introduced cross-device syncing for passwords and bookmarks, making it easier for users to access their information across devices.

Despite its efforts, court filings in the U.S. Department of Justice vs. Google case revealed that DuckDuckGo accounted for only 2.5% of general search queries in the U.S. in 2021 and between 0.5% to 2.5% in Europe in 2023, highlighting the challenges faced by search startups in competing with Google.