DuckDuckGo Adds Built-In YouTube Video Ad Blocking To Its Browser

by Justin Erickson

DuckDuckGo has added built-in video ad blocking to its web browser, letting users watch most YouTube videos without advertisements shown before or during playback. It is enabled by default for iPhone, Windows, and macOS. Currently, Android users can turn it on through Settings > Ad Blocking, and it is planned to be enabled by default during a future update. The way that it works is that it “…relies on community-maintained filter lists from uBlock Origin to detect and block YouTube ads. It is supplemented by its own compatibility rules to further strengthen its effectiveness.”