Can you access DuckDuckGo in China?

DuckDuckGo isn’t normally available in China, having been blocked in September 2014. However, privacy-conscious tourists and expats can unblock DuckDuckGo in China with the help of a VPN or foreign eSIM. We’ll explain why DuckDuckGo is blocked, what your alternatives are, and how to reliably access blocked websites in China.

Is DuckDuckGo banned in China?

Screenshot showing DuckDuckGo's search page
DuckDuckGo is blocked in China, though it remains accessible in the Special Administrative Regions (Hong Kong and Macau). According to GreatFire, which monitors Chinese web censorship, DuckDuckGo was likely blocked on September 3, 2014. In a now-deleted series of tweets, the company’s CEO, Gabriel Weinberg, confirmed that China had blocked DuckDuckGo without warning. Weinberg also mentioned that they wouldn’t fight the ban given they didn’t get much traffic from China anyway.

It is still possible to access DuckDuckGo from mainland China. Here’s how:

  1. Before you depart, sign up for one of the few VPNs still working in China. Our top recommendation is NordVPN.
  2. Install the VPN app and save a copy of its manual setup instructions on your device. This ensures you have a backup option in case updates to the Great Firewall temporarily render the app unusable.
  3. Activate your VPN’s obfuscation, if available. This hides the fact that you’re using a VPN by making your encrypted traffic look like regular HTTP traffic.

    Screenshot showing Surfshark's NoBorders mode
    Some providers automatically obfuscate your connection but usually, you have to manually activate it or swap to an obfuscated protocol
  4. Most VPNs don’t have physical servers in China since they’d be at risk of government surveillance or seizure. Some offer virtual Chinese servers but to bypass the Great Firewall, you must use a VPN server outside of China.
  5. Once connected, you should be able to access any site that’s available in your chosen server’s location. This includes DuckDuckGo, Google, Gmail, or most other websites that are blocked in China. 

Everything you should know about using DuckDuckGo in China

Chinese authorities blocked over 311,000 domains in 2021, and that figure has almost certainly grown. It’s easy to spot trends; for instance, Wikipedia, Internet Archive, and The New York Times all offer unbiased information, which is likely why they were blocked. However, not every Western search engine is inaccessible in China, so what makes DuckDuckGo different?

Why was DuckDuckGo blocked in China?

To date, authorities have never confirmed why DuckDuckGo was blocked but we can make an educated guess. Bing works perfectly in China, though it does censor results to comply with the country’s strict regulations. Google was previously available too, but was swiftly blocked after it stopped censoring search results. DuckDuckGo, meanwhile, has never complied with Chinese censorship and markets itself as a privacy-friendly service, which is likely why it’s inaccessible.

Is DuckDuckGo really that private?

DuckDuckGo’s main appeal is that it protects your personal information and never tracks your searches. It doesn’t store your IP address, blocks ads and trackers, and prioritizes HTTPS, while allowing you to reject cookies automatically for every site. That’s a solid start for anyone looking to limit the amount of personal data they’re giving away.

There is one blemish on the company’s history, though. In 2022, it was revealed that despite blocking most online trackers, DuckDuckGo made exceptions for Microsoft services. In response, Weinberg claimed this was due to its service agreement with Microsoft, and that DuckDuckGo would try to remove this moving forward. True to its word, the search engine started blocking Microsoft’s trackers just three months later.

What should I consider when buying a VPN to use in China?

You should note that most Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are completely unusable in China. There are some that still work reliably, but you may experience occasional outages as the Great Firewall’s filters are updated. Here’s what to look for when buying a VPN for China:

  • Proven no-logs policy: There’s no point in using a privacy-conscious search engine if your VPN is keeping logs of every site you visit. An audited no-logs policy proves your activities are kept private, even from your provider.
  • Reasonable pricing: Free VPNs exist but most don’t work in China, plus they tend to have low monthly bandwidth limits. You don’t have to spend a lot to get a quality service, though. ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark all work in China and cost just a few dollars per month on long-term plans.
  • Obfuscation: This hides any indication that you’re using a VPN at all, and is a requirement for beating China’s Great Firewall.
  • Server network: The more servers your VPN has, the harder it is to block them all. Additionally, a larger network means you’re more likely to have a server in a nearby country. That’ll let you access the open internet with the fastest possible speeds.

Conclusion

DuckDuckGo has been blocked in China for more than a decade and isn’t likely to return any time soon. For most people, the easiest option is to just switch to another search engine during your stay. If privacy is a priority for you, a foreign eSIM or VPN can help you access DuckDuckGo anywhere, even China.