Is DuckDuckGo Search & Tracker Protection Safe? — Extension Safety Profile

The extension requests access to all visited websites (*://*/*), along with permissions like webRequest, declarativeNetRequest, scripting, cookies, and tabs. This lets it read and modify network traffic, inject code into pages, and see browsing behaviour—capabilities needed for comprehensive tracker blocking and private search. The scope is broad but expected for a tool in this category.

Privacy and content-blocking extensions inherently require a high degree of trust because they can observe and alter all web activity. Users should verify they are installing the official DuckDuckGo extension from the Chrome Web Store and be cautious of similarly named look‑alikes. Even when a developer declares strong privacy practices (the Data & Privacy score here is 100/100), staying safe ultimately relies on the code being free of vulnerabilities or supply‑chain compromises.

The fact sheet shows a weakest dimension of Permissions & Access (45/100), a direct reflection of the extension’s extensive reach. The strongest dimension is Maintenance & Ownership (100/100), pointing to active updates and a verified publisher, while Community Reputation is high (92/100). This balance is common in well‑maintained privacy extensions that need deep browser integration to function effectively.