DuckDuckGo browser for Mac is now available as an open beta

Internet privacy company DuckDuckGo has announced that its web browser for Mac is now available as an open beta.

After the company announced the roll-out of the web browser as a closed beta six months ago, DuckDuckGo has added new features to the application. One of these is "Duck Player," a YouTube player that prevents the website from serving the viewer targeted ads. While YouTube will still register a user's views, content watched through Duck Player will contribute to the user's YouTube advertising profile, so they won't see personalized ads.

DuckDuckGo for Mac now also has improved tracker blocking. In the past, the program has always blocked invasive trackers before they load, eliminating the ads that rely on tracking. However, the new version will now clean up the white space left behind by those ads to create a distraction-free look.

The company also announced improvements to its Cookie Consent Pop-Up Manager. DuckDuckGo claims that its browser can now handle cookie pop-ups on more sites, protecting users from annoying interruptions. The browser also lets you enable DuckDuckGo Email Protection on the desktop to better protect your inbox from trackers.

Other new features of the DuckDuckGo browser include pinned tabs, a new bookmarks bar, password protection via open source password manager Bitwarden, and a way to view locally stored browsing history. The company plans to add more built-in features that offer native alternatives to more popular extensions.

DuckDuckGo's browser comes with built-in protections that users can find on its mobile apps. These include multiple layers of defense against third-party trackers, secure link upgrading with Smarter Encryption, and its Fire Button that instantly clears recent browsing data.

DuckDuckGo confirmed that a Windows version of its privacy-focused browser is coming, with a private waitlist beta expected in the next few months.

Via: TechCrunch