{
  "slug": "privacy-essentials",
  "category": "browser-extensions",
  "name": "Privacy Essentials",
  "description": "DuckDuckGo browser extension that blocks trackers, upgrades connections to HTTPS and sets DuckDuckGo as the search engine.",
  "website": "https://duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/desktop/adding-duckduckgo-to-your-browser",
  "source": "https://github.com/duckduckgo/duckduckgo-privacy-extension",
  "license": "Apache-2.0",
  "platforms": [],
  "jurisdiction": {
    "code": "US",
    "name": "United States",
    "eyes": "Five Eyes",
    "eu": false,
    "gdpr": false,
    "cloud_act": "provider"
  },
  "pick": false,
  "pick_reason": null,
  "disclosure": null,
  "grade": "D",
  "score": 40,
  "coverage": 100,
  "summary": "Privacy Essentials scores 40 out of 100 (grade D) on the browser extensions criteria. It meets 1 of 4 criteria: open source. It partly meets no ads or data sales. It does not meet no trackers or telemetry and independent audit. It is based in the United States: Five Eyes member; subject to the US CLOUD Act.",
  "url": "https://privacyratings.com/browser-extensions/privacy-essentials/",
  "markdown": "https://privacyratings.com/browser-extensions/privacy-essentials/index.md",
  "answers": {
    "open_source": {
      "title": "Open source",
      "weight": 3,
      "answer": "yes",
      "evidence": "https://github.com/duckduckgo/duckduckgo-privacy-extension/blob/main/LICENSE.md",
      "note": "Apache-2.0."
    },
    "no_trackers": {
      "title": "No trackers or telemetry",
      "weight": 3,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": "https://duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/privacy/atb/",
      "note": "No third-party trackers, but the extension sends an anonymous usage-counting request with each search, with no documented way to turn it off."
    },
    "no_ads": {
      "title": "No ads or data sales",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "partial",
      "evidence": "https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/duckduckgo-for-firefox/privacy/",
      "note": "The extension has no ads, but DuckDuckGo is funded by search ads based on the current search, not a profile."
    },
    "independent_audit": {
      "title": "Independent audit",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "No independent audit is published."
    },
    "transparency_report": {
      "title": "Transparency report",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "n/a",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Only applies to hosted services with a website to test."
    },
    "user_notice": {
      "title": "Tells users about requests",
      "weight": 1,
      "answer": "n/a",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Only applies to hosted services with a website to test."
    },
    "tls": {
      "title": "TLS configuration",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "n/a",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Only applies to hosted services with a website to test."
    },
    "security_headers": {
      "title": "Security headers",
      "weight": 1,
      "answer": "n/a",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Only applies to hosted services with a website to test."
    },
    "web_standards": {
      "title": "Modern web standards",
      "weight": 1,
      "answer": "n/a",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Only applies to hosted services with a website to test."
    }
  },
  "tests": {
    "ssllabs": null,
    "observatory": null,
    "internetnl_web": null,
    "internetnl_mail": null,
    "trackers": [],
    "tested_at": "2026-10-01T07:00:40.251Z"
  },
  "last_modified": "2026-10-01T07:44:20Z"
}