DuckDuckGo search engine blocked by Indian ISPs

Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo is being blocked across India.

Users began reporting they could not access the site earlier today, with multiple ISPs appearing to block access to DuckDuckGo. Many users claimed that the site URL appears to be blocked via a DNS server, with some still able to gain access via third party DNS.

DuckDuckGo is a US-based search engine which emphasizes user data protection and privacy, as it does not profile its users.

TikTok banned in India - here's what you need to know
DuckDuckGo wants to stop you from being tracked online
Here are our picks of the best India VPN

DuckDuckGo not working

DuckDuckGo has responded to the situation online, stating that the issue is not occurring from their end. The company added that they are in touch with local Internet providers to get to the bottom of the issue and resolve it as early as possible.

The company also advised a temporary solution of using a third party DNS such as 1.1.1.1 to resolve the issue.

To our users in India: We’ve received many reports our search engine is unreachable by much of India right now and have confirmed it is not due to us. We're actively talking to Internet providers to get to the bottom of it ASAP. Thank you for your patience.July 1, 2020

Some Indian ISPs do appear to be lifting restrictions, with TechRadar Pro able to access the site using the Jio and Aitel networks.

Some users claim that DuckDuckGo has been blocked on the instruction of the Indian government, with the outage coming days after it banned 59 apps including TikTok.

DuckDuckGo has grown in popularity due to its stance on user privacy and online safety. The company recently revealed a new tool aimed at unveiling which companies and domains track users online.

Named Tracker Radar, the tool consists of over 5,326 domains used by 1,727 companies, with the full data set used to create it available now on GitHub.

DuckDuckGo hopes that the release will help researchers get a better understanding of online tracking as a whole, but also allow developers to create tools to stop users from being tracked.