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    DuckDuckGo installs are up 30% as users reject being ‘force-fed’ Google’s AI Search
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    DuckDuckGo installs are up 30% as users reject being ‘force-fed’ Google’s AI Search

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    43 Comments

    2. ND7020 on

      I’ve been using it for years. Of course, in some ways it’s less effective than Google (even as Google has gotten worse and worse) – the image and news searches are far inferior, and of course you don’t have the same maps capability.

      But that’s all a small price to pay for me, and just requires a little more thinking, which never hurt anyone. 

    3. albamarx on

      Switched about a year ago. Doesn’t take long at all to forget I ever used anything else.

    5. Sevastous-of-Caria on

      This is 30% of Duckducks already low numbers. Compared to default search numbers of google its too little.

      After netflix password squeeze and discord mass migration falling flat I expect many corporations to take initiative

    7. Valleygurl99 on

      I’ve been using it for a year. Unfortunately lots of search results are just copycat AI created websites now. 

    8. DrakeAU on

      It’s not just the AI it’s the incessant pop ups. Log into Google, have you tried google AI. do you want to log into your YouPorn account with Google? No I fucking do not!

    10. Haunterblademoi on

      It will always be better to use alternative and private search engines instead of Google.

    11. Amoykateer on

      I switched literally about 5 weeks ago, tired if Google, and I’m so happy I did, I’ll never go back

    12. HiddeHandel on

      Mostly just want to use my pc in peace and decide what I turn on. The policy by a lot of companies had become you can turn this feature off instead of letting the user decide if they want it in the first place.
      I am also using cachy-os (linux) so might not be the opinion what most people think.

    13. According_Jeweler404 on

      The good people behind AskJeeves have the opportunity to be heroes in 2026.

    15. nemom on

      I’m only allowed to use Edge at work. I hate the ‘do you wanna install Chrome?’ pop-up every damn time I go to Google.

    17. miss_kateya on

      Tried the browser on my computer and it was unbearably slow. Two tabs open was apparently the hardest thing my computer ever did.

      Got it on my phone though.

    18. largececelia on

      Yup! I’ve been enjoying it for months now, the lack of forced AI, the more honest results, just generally more distance from Google and their horrid stinking junkyard of untrustworthy and buggy products.

    19. Salt_Main1933 on

      As a long time user, I’ve switched back to google. DuckDuckGo’s algorithm puts entirely AI generated websites with inaccurate information as sometimes the entire first page of hits. You can see this a lot when a new game comes out and you try to look up info for it.

    21. TheUmberTaker on

      PLEASE keep working on Duck Duck Go to make it was Google used to be. Google used to be more carefree and just returned some neat shit. Now its results are ads or chastising me for my search questions.

    22. No-Object5897 on

      * using duckduckgo
      “man, this search would be better on google”

      * prepends !g to search*

      “that was successful. back to privacy!”

    23. squeeemeister on

      Uninstalled chrome from every device I own this weekend. Switched default search in FF to DuckDuckGo. Slowly switching gmail to proton mail. Adios big tech.

    24. hype-pretension on

      DuckDuckGo’s image results have used GenAI for years now, it’s over.

    25. TSJormungandr on

      I switched last year. I mostly use duck duck go. The if can’t find what I need I’ll move back to google.

    26. doortothe on

      Ah yes, the best business move: existing when your major competitor shoots themselves in the foot lol

    27. tw1zt84 on

      I’ve been using LibreWolf as my browser, which has DuckDuckGo as a default search engine. As a fyi, you can use noai.duckduckgo.com to bypass DuckDuckGo’s AI features. Can set it as the default in Firefox and LibreWolf by using “https://noai.duckduckgo.com/?ia=web&q=%s” in the search settings.

    30. SquashedGrapes22 on

      I tried using it a couple weeks ago and I did not like it. I felt like it gave me no relevant or useful information in some of my searches.

    32. Woodcrate69420 on

      Isnt DuckDuckGo just another Microsoft Bing reskin with accordingly dogshit search results?

    34. VictorBelmont on

      Just remember that duckduckgo does have AI too, you can turn it off though.

    35. challam on

      I’ve used DuckDuckGo for way over a year and have only had to re-search on Google once. I have AI turned off and use private mode and vastly prefer it over (current) Google.

      Just my experience & opinion.

    37. Garchompisbestboi on

      So what, another 3 people are using DuckDuckGo now? Percentages mean absolutely nothing if the headline is going to bury the actual figures that percentage is based on.

    38. MrTastix on

      If DDG weren’t just a frontend platform for Bing sure, maybe I’d go back to using it. But why bother?

      Bing’s results are worse and Microsoft is just as greedy as Google. You’re trading one devil for another.

      This is just more proof that the average user is easily duped by what feels or looks right, not what actually is. The same way a skeey company can rebrand and 10+ years later capture a market who never knew about their origins to begin with, simply because they weren’t born yet.

    40. Commercial_Hat5670 on

      They went from 3 to 4 users? AMAZING!

      Just kidding. I use DuckDuckGo as well. It was an easy joke to tell.

    42. Jastreen on

      I hate Google, but the hypocrisy of DDGo is astonishing. They’ve been pushing hard their AI search for a long time and received a lot of backlash.
      Now they’re acting like they were always “no AI” smh

    43. Enough_Ad_5328 on

      Its infuriating this is the shit built into our phones. Shoulda seen it it coming, but im an optimist, I guess, and we’re fucking wrong I suppose. Capitalism really is the root of all of our problems. Legit an anti-life system.