Using a search engine is often one of the most public things you can do online. You're opening yourself up to all kinds of trackers and targeted ads every time you search something. In response to this, search engine DuckDuckGo has established itself as one of the best search engines for the privacy-conscious, but it has now been banned in Indonesia.
If you want to browse the internet privately in Jakarta or across the country then it looks like it's now more important than ever to have one of the best VPNs. But why has DuckDuckGo had its wings clipped, and how can you use one of the best Indonesia VPNs to fix the issue?
Why was DuckDuckGo banned?
One government official told Reuters that the search engine has been outlawed in Indonesia "because of the many complaints made to us about the rampant online gambling and pornography content in its search results."
Indonesia is a Muslim country and gambling is not permitted in the Islamic faith, however according to government data, 3 million Indonesians partook in online gambling in 2023.
For DuckDuckGo's part, it's worth noting that it is an established privacy tool and states on its website that its goal is just to "show the world that protecting privacy is simple."
Interestingly other search engines like Google are still permitted in the country.
How can you still browse the internet privately?
If you wish to access the internet privately then you can still use a VPN in Indonesia to protect your internet usage from prying eyes. VPNs let users spoof their IP address and access the Internet as if they were using it from another country. You could even use this to access DuckDuckGo for a double helping of security.
When it comes to choosing a secure VPN to avoid censorship, you'll want one with an effective killswitch. That way if your connection drops, you won't be left accidentally browsing using your real IP address.
There are plenty of great free VPNs too, but that may not soon be an easy option for those in Indonesia. The government is reportedly considering cutting off access to free VPN services.
