DuckDuckGo Wants to Spare You From Annoying Google Sign-In Pop-Ups

    Not many people would be upset with fewer pop-ups.
    DuckDuckGo
    

    DuckDuckGo, the privacy-focused search engine, on Thursday launched a new feature in its apps and browser extensions called Google Sign-in Pop-Up Protection. The new feature stops Google sign-in pop-ups from appearing on non-Google sites.
    These pop-ups have shown up across the web on sites like Zillow and Reddit, neither of which are owned by Google.?
    “[The pop-ups] may seem helpful but signing in actually gives consent to being tracked,” DuckDuckGo tweeted.
    

NEW: Have you seen these Google sign-in pop-ups lately? They may seem helpful but signing in actually gives consent to being tracked.

We just released Google Sign-in Pop-up Protection to help block the pop-ups in our apps and extensions.?? pic.twitter.com/i7LzbNphIc
    — DuckDuckGo (@DuckDuckGo) December 22, 2022

    According to DuckDuckGo, if you sign into your Google account from these other sites, Google can then track your behavior and collect your data on those sites. This is also a way for Google to collect data on users who have disabled third-party cookies.
    This new feature is automatically turned on in your DuckDuckGo apps or browser extensions. If you’re still seeing Google sign-in pop-ups, try updating your DuckDuckGo app or browser extension.
    DuckDuckGo has positioned itself as an alternative to search engines like Google, which has historically made money by targeting ads based on a user’s personal data and browsing history. Google said in 2021 it would stop this practice, but the search engine still collects user data — like search and location history — even when in incognito mode.
    For more on DuckDuckGo, check out what you need to know about the search engine and five reason to use DuckDuckGo.