Is DuckDuckGo Owned by Google? The Truth Behind the Duck.com Confusion

The Duck.com Domain Story

The persistent myth that Google owns DuckDuckGo almost entirely stems from one thing: the Duck.com domain name.

Google became the owner of Duck.com in 2010 when it acquired On2 Technologies, a company that was formerly known as The Duck Corporation . For years, typing "duck.com" into a browser would redirect to Google's homepage . This was frustrating for DuckDuckGo's users and leadership alike — it looked like Google was deliberately redirecting traffic away from its rival .

In reality, Google had no apparent intent to mislead users; it simply owned the domain as part of the On2 acquisition . In July 2018, Google added a link to DuckDuckGo on the Duck.com landing page . Then, in December 2018, Google transferred full ownership of Duck.com to DuckDuckGo . CEO Gabriel Weinberg confirmed the transfer, saying: "We're pleased Google has chosen to transfer ownership of Duck.com to DuckDuckGo" .

Since the transfer, Duck.com has redirected to DuckDuckGo's own homepage . The terms of the transfer were not disclosed .

DuckDuckGo Is Growing — As a Google Alternative

DuckDuckGo's independence is also apparent in its competitive trajectory. In 2026, DuckDuckGo installs rose 30% as users seek privacy-friendly alternatives to Google's increasingly AI-integrated search experience .

Bottom Line

DuckDuckGo is not owned by Google. It is an independent company that has actively competed against Google for years. The Duck.com domain confusion is a historical artifact, not evidence of ownership. If you want a private, independent search engine, DuckDuckGo remains exactly what it claims to be: a Google competitor, not a subsidiary.