Apple has implemented App Tracking Transparency since its iOS 14.5, but Google has yet to implement the Privacy Sandbox announced earlier this year. This includes similar protection against app tracking.

Third-party apps like Rethink, NextDNS, and Blokada can help prevent apps from tracking user activity on other companies’ apps and websites. ..

DuckDuckGo is releasing a beta version of its app tracking protection feature. This feature uses Android VPN connection logs to monitor network activity. When an app tries to send data to a third-party service, the feature recognizes this intent and blocks the transfer. ..

Third party tracking companies use your information to create profiles. This profile is used by advertisers to display targeted advertisements. Furthermore, “tracking networks can sell data to other companies such as data brokers, advertisers and governments, and are more likely to engage in ideological manipulation, discrimination, price-fixing of individuals, polarization and more. It can do a lot of damage.” Now you know why you want to prevent trackers from getting your data. ..

If you’re looking for a search engine that doesn’t track your browsing habits, DuckDuckGo is a good option. It’s free and easy to use, and it doesn’t collect any personal information. ..

If you don’t have DuckDuckGo yet, install it from the Google Play Store. Or update it if it’s already on your Android device. Requires version 5.143.1 or later.

When you open the browser for the first time, it will ask you if you want to make it your default browser. This is not required to use App Policing feature🇧🇷 If you are using Android 13, you also have the option to grant or deny notification permissions. Allowing notifications has benefits that we’ll discuss later. open settings

Settings App Tracking Protection

The next page of instructions explains how to use the feature and how it works. Tap the next button at the bottom of the first two pages to continue.

DuckDuckGo emphasizes that App Tracking Protection is not a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Instead, it uses a local VPN connection so your data doesn’t go through an external server like a normal VPN.

DuckDuckGo’s VPN is a local network filter that looks for and blocks tracking requests on your blocklist as traffic passes through. Unfortunately, once your traffic passes DuckDuckGo’s app tracking protection, you can’t use a regular VPN for your traffic.