DuckDuckGo, the popular search engine alternative to Google has announced today that its address and map searches on mobile and desktop are now powered by Apple’s MapKit JS framework. DuckDuckGo is one of the first companies to rely on MapKit for its data and touts the privacy that the move brings to its users.
DuckDuckGo shared the news on its blog today:
We’re excited to announce that map and address-related searches on DuckDuckGo for mobile and desktop are now powered by Apple’s MapKit JS framework, giving you a valuable combination of mapping and privacy. As one of the first global companies using Apple MapKit JS, we can now offer users improved address searches, additional visual features, enhanced satellite imagery, and continually updated maps already in use on billions of Apple devices worldwide.
The company said it is excited to be working with Apple to “set a new standard of trust online, and we hope you’ll enjoy this update.” It is also seeking feedback from users to help improve searches.
The update means Apple Maps will be seen in DuckDuckGo as embedded in private search results as well as in the Maps tab.
With this updated integration, Apple Maps are now available both embedded within our private search results for relevant queries, as well as available from the “Maps” tab on any search result page.
DuckDuckGo highlighted how it keeps all maps queries anonymous:
At DuckDuckGo, we believe getting the privacy you deserve online should be as simple as closing the blinds. Naturally, our strict privacy policy of not collecting or sharing any personal information extends to this integration. We do not send any personally identifiable information such as IP address to Apple or other third parties. For local searches, where your approximate location information is sent by your browser to us, we discard it immediately after use.
You can read more about anonymous localized search results here.
Meanwhile, Apple is working on a massive overhaul to its Maps that have started to trickle out to users in certain regions.
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