Some DuckDuckGo users are reporting that the search engine is returning NSFW content for regular queries.
One user searching for a real-life example of “r33 using the doluck kit” (a technical automotive query) ended up receiving pornographic search results.
Similar complaints have also surfaced on Reddit in the r/duckduckgo subreddit. Searching for a case involving “vintage story” returned an NSFW result despite there being no matching keywords.
A similar issue has occurred before, particularly with image results. You can find some reports of NSFW images for normal searches, such as “Mobius strip” or “Football sticker.” Alarmingly, the problem is seemingly occurring even when Safe Search was configured to moderate.
It’s worth noting that the issue mostly disappears when the page is refreshed, so it’s intermittent.
I’ve tried to replicate the issue on DuckDuckGo with the same keywords mentioned in previous paragraphs, but I only received normal results, even with Safe Search disabled. This suggests that not everyone is facing these issues, and the scope is limited at the moment.
This comes at a time when DuckDuckGo is seeing increased interest. We’ve recently covered how visits to its dedicated “No AI” search page have tripled following Google’s heavy AI overhaul, as users seek alternatives to AI-generated overviews.
App installs also jumped significantly in late May, but the platform faces the expected user retention challenge. Users are rightfully questioning the dependency on Bing, since it comes with problems such as this.
So, this issue is frustrating since people use search tools even in public places, and children use them as well.
In other DuckDuckGo news, a new update brings YouTube ad-blocking to iPhone. You can read about that here.
Disclaimer: The Featured image was generated with AI.
Sudhanshu K
99 Posts
I have been a consumer technology enthusiast for over 5 years. Thanks to my experience in software beta testing and product reviews, I've understood and learnt a lot about what bugs and issues bother people, and I spend time trying to simplify their solutions. I cover smartphones, software, social media, apps, AI, and most consumer tech gadgets. Actively pursuing a Computer Science bachelor’s degree. I'm mostly active on Twitter/X (@TechWhirlUlt), drop a DM or tag me if you want to share info or connect!
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