Surveillance-free search engine, DuckDuckGo, today announced that it is now using  Apple’s MapKit JS frameworkfor search.

What happens on DuckDuckGo, stays on DuckDuckGo

“We’re excited to work closely with Apple to set a new standard of trust online, and we hope you’ll enjoy this update,” the company said.

It means the search engine now offers users the same improved address searches, additional visual features, enhanced satellite imagery, and continually updated maps as already used on billions of Apple devices worldwide.

How this works

With this updated integration, Apple Maps are now available both embedded within the search engine’s private search results for relevant queries, as well as available from the “Maps” tab on any search result page.

It cites as an example the map that appears when you first search for something (“pizzas in Cupertino”), the map that appears once you click on a result and the items that appear after you click through those results.

Try it out with one of the many different ways you can search for places on DuckDuckGo:

• Search for an address
• Search for a geographical place
• Search for a local business
• Search for a type of business
• Search for places nearby

“At DuckDuckGo, we believe getting the privacy you deserve online should be as simple as closing the blinds. Naturally, our strict privacy policy of not collecting or sharing any personal information extends to this integration.

[amazon_link asins=’1781256845′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’playlistclub-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’74a5ff59-19ce-4f6b-957d-ad53270d229c’]

“We do not send any personally identifiable information such as IP address to Apple or other third parties. For local searches, where your approximate location information is sent by your browser to us, we discard it immediately after use. You are still anonymous when you perform map and address-related searches on DuckDuckGo. You can read more about our anonymous localized results here.”

I applaud this. It means we now have a secure alternative to Google Maps search online. And that’s a good thing.

I wonder how long it will be until Apple makes DuckDuckGo the default search engine. I think that’s inevitable.