DuckDuckGo is a well known search engine that offers user privacy centered features. It boasts that it does not track its users like some other search engines do. They also offer extensions for many web browsers, web browsers for Android and iOS. Now they are also offering an email protection service.
Shields your real email address
Using the DuckDuckGo Email Protection, a user can obtain an email address with duck.com domain name. This email address has no inbox or outbox of its own. It is used only to direct the email messages to any of your other email addresses. This way DuckDuckGo email protection shields your own email address. Spammers will never know your actual email address if you use DuckDuckGo provided email address.
Removes all email trackers
Another feature of this email protection is that it removes any email trackers linked inside the email message. An email tracker is a small image hosted on the tracker server. As soon as you open the email message, you load the image and this simple action relays your IP address, your geographic location, your web browser or email client and more information to the tracker. DuckDuckGo removes these known trackers giving you clean email messages.
Easy way to get DuckDuckGo email protection
There are many ways for getting this protection. For example, it is included in the DuckDuckGo’s mobile app. But if you prefer desktop computers, then it is done in the following manner:
- First condition for getting this email protection is that you must install DuckDuckGo browser extension. You can find links to DuckDuckGo extensions for all the browsers from https://help.duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/desktop/adding-duckduckgo-to-your-browser/.
- After installing the extension, you can visit https://duckduckgo.com/email/ in your web browser and click on the Get Started button.
- After going through the introduction, you will see a screen where you can choose your DuckDuckGo email address and enter your existing email address for forwarding all the email messages received at the DuckDuckGo email address. Click on the Continue button after entering both email addresses.
- This is it, now you have your own duck.com email address. You can give this to anyone who asks your email address.
Private disposable DuckDuckGo email address
In the web browser extension for DuckDuckGo, you can go to the email protection section and find many advanced options. One of these options is private email address. This is yet another duck.com email address. So you have one regular duck.com email address to be give to those whom you trust. And a randomly generated private temporary duck.com email address for those whom you do not trust. The private email address can be turned off or deactivated.
Change forwarding email address for protection
A forwarding email address is assigned when first create a DuckDuckGo email address. But this address can easily be changed later on. In the web browser extension options for the email protection, we can find the option to change the email address. We can simply click on the Change Forwarding Address and supply the new email address.
Conclusion
DuckDuckGo Email Protection is great for shielding your own email address from the robots, spammers and untrustworthy people. It hides your real email address by giving you a duck.com email address of your choice. It also filters all the known trackers. Furthermore, it also offers temporary randomly generated email address which we can dispose off easily.