DuckDuckGo now uses Apple MapKit JS for its map and location based searches

DuckDuckGo, an Internet search engine, announced that its DuckDuckGo for mobile and desktop now support Apple's MapKit JS framework for its map and address-related searches. With the Apple MapKit JS, users can carry out improved searches, additional visual features, and enhanced satellite imagery. They can also have updated maps already in use on billions of Apple devices worldwide.

https://twitter.com/DuckDuckGo/status/1085220405462200320

Apple Maps are now embedded in both DuckDuckGo’s private search results for relevant queries and are also available from the ‘Maps’ tab on any search results page.

With the new Apple MapKit JS framework DuckDuckGo provides users a combination of mapping and privacy. According to a statement on their blog post, “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.”

The company promises to not share any personally identifiable information such as IP address to Apple or other third parties. For local searches, where the browser tends to send user’s approximate location information, the information will be discarded by DuckDuckGo immediately after use.

According to ZDNet, “DuckDuckGo did not discuss how working with Apple, which the search engine said will result in "a new standard of trust online", was better or worse from a privacy perspective than using data from the OpenStreetMap project as it did previously.”

To know more about this in detail, visit DuckDuckGo’s official blog post.