DuckDuckGo is back online for users in India after brief blockage

DuckDuckGo, a popular privacy-focused search engine, is gradually becoming accessible for users in India after getting blocked by some ISPs. The platform is now accessible on the Airtel network.

According to AndroidPolice, the ISPs haven’t fully restored the browser. For instance, some ACT Fibernet and Vodafone users are still facing issues with the platform.

DuckDuckGo, in the meanwhile, has confirmed restoration of its service in the country.

“We’re seeing our services being broadly restored in India. Thank you for all of your reports, bringing attention to this issue,” said DuckDuck Go in a tweet on late Saturday.

DuckDuckGo has gained massive popularity in the last couple of years as users are becoming more conscious about privacy and how the internet companies track them. DuckDuckGo has also been endorsed by the likes of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.

The company recently launched a new initiative under which they are sharing data they have collected on online trackers with other browsers. Called Tracker Radar, it lists 5,326 internet domains used by 1,727 companies to track users online. Vivaldi is one of the first browsers to embrace DuckDuckGo’s Tracker Radar.

That said, it is not the first time a popular internet service was blocked in the country. In May this year, popular file-sharing platform Wetransfer faced a similar virtual blockade for a brief period.

It is not clear why DuckDuckGo was blocked in India. Many suspected that it was related to the Indian government’s decision to 59 China-linked applications which include the likes of TikTok, UC Browser, and Sharit among others. Some believe it was related to DNS entries.

Source: AP