DuckDuckGo Email Wait List is Now Over

The time of the waiting list for access to DuckDuckGo E-Mail Protection is over: as the provider announces, anyone can now try the beta version and get an @duck.com email address. The free “email security” service was introduced in the middle of last year. At the time, however, DuckDuckGo started out as a closed beta. Those who could not get an invitation were left out.

That’s over now. DuckDuckGo has released its new offering to the public but will keep the service in beta for now. At the same time, DuckDuckGo is now also introducing new features that improve the email service’s anti-tracking system, instant reply function, and intelligent encryption for embedded links.

Forwarding solution:

DuckDuckGo Email Protection is the dedicated email forwarding solution that cleans all emails from ads and profiling trackers before they land in the user’s normal inbox. After receiving the emails, users will also see a short report detailing how many trackers were removed, which companies were involved, and more. An analysis of the test showed how important this can be: DuckDuckGo reports that after the beta program ran for a year, more than 85 percent of all emails from the testers contained trackers.

New features in beta test

Now that the beta is open to everyone, DuckDuckGo is introducing new features and improvements. First, DuckDuckGo has expanded the tracker blocking feature, which includes links in addition to scripts, images, and other media. For example, advertisers and phishing kits often use link trackers to track which URLs are clicked on. Second, a new “Smart Encryption” system automatically redirects users who click on embedded links to the HTTPS version of the target page, even if the email author was using HTTP.

Link encryption system

The third innovation is the ability to send or reply from Duck addresses, which is useful in cases where sender anonymity is required. Finally, DuckDuckGo has added an easy-to-use dashboard to quickly configure forwarding addresses, make instant changes, manage account settings, and more. To sign up for DuckDuckGo email security, the DuckDuckGo mobile app for iOS or Android, or any browser extension (currently available for Firefox, Chrome, Edge, and Brave) is required.