29 Mar DUCKDUCKGO EXPERT WITNESS TESTIMONY: CONSULTING FOR ATTORNEYS, TESTIFYING
A DuckDuckGo expert witness testimony provider weighs in on legal cases related to search engine privacy, data protection, advertising practices, content ranking, and cybersecurity. As a privacy-focused search engine, DuckDuckGo expert witnesses say it operates differently from mainstream competitors like Google and Bing, raising legal questions regarding data handling, user tracking, and fair competition.
- Data Privacy and Consumer Protection Violations
The solution markets itself as a search engine that does not track users or store personal data. But legal disputes may arise over whether the company fully complies with privacy laws such as GDPR and CCPA. A DuckDuckGo expert witness analyzes data collection policies, cookie usage, and third-party partnerships to determine if any privacy violations occurred.
- Search Engine Ranking and Algorithm Bias Disputes
Businesses rely on search engine visibility, and disputes can occur if its ranking algorithms allegedly unfairly suppress certain websites. DuckDuckGo expert witnesses evaluate whether ranking decisions were based on objective criteria or if companies suffered financial harm due to algorithmic bias or manual intervention.
- Advertising and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Fraud
Although the service has a different advertising model from Google, it still partners with Microsoft Advertising to display sponsored results. Disputes may involve click fraud, deceptive ad placements, or improper use of advertising data. A DuckDuckGo expert witness reviews whether advertisers were impacted by fraudulent or misleading practices.
- Cybersecurity and Hacking Investigations
Since it promotes anonymous searching, it may be used by individuals seeking enhanced privacy for legal or illegal activities. Law enforcement cases may involve criminal investigations, cybersecurity threats, or fraud enabled through anonymous searches. A DuckDuckGo expert witness considers how security measures and policies affect law enforcement investigations.
- Intellectual Property and Content Scraping Disputes
Search engines aggregate and display information from multiple sources, sometimes leading to copyright and intellectual property disputes. Website owners may claim that it scraped and displayed proprietary content without authorization, impacting their traffic and revenue. A DuckDuckGo expert witness analyzes whether intellectual property laws were violated.