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DuckDuckGo said on April 9, 2021, that its Chrome extension blocked websites from using Google’s proposed FLoC tracking method. The protection was included in extension version 2021.4.8 and newer, according to DuckDuckGo’s announcement. FLoC is no longer a current Chrome feature: Google replaced it with Topics in 2022, then said in October 2025 that it had decided to retire Topics and other Privacy Sandbox technologies.
What DuckDuckGo’s FLoC block did
FLoC stood for Federated Learning of Cohorts. Google described it in March 2021 as a way for Chrome to infer a user’s interests from browsing history and group people with similar interests for advertising. In Google’s account, the cohort was calculated on the device, and a site could receive the cohort identifier when it requested it; Google said the person’s browsing history itself would not be shared with Google through that mechanism. Google’s explanation describes the proposal, not an independent assessment of its privacy.
DuckDuckGo said its Chrome extension blocked FLoC interactions on websites. The company identified version 2021.4.8 and later as containing the feature. It argued that a cohort identifier could still be useful for targeting and raised concerns about identification and fingerprinting. Those concerns represent DuckDuckGo’s position; the two companies framed the proposal differently.
DuckDuckGo’s 2021 post also reported Google’s claim that FLoC was at least 95% as effective as third-party-cookie tracking. That figure is a reported Google claim, not an independently verified comparison established here.
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Why FLoC is not a current Chrome threat
Google replaced FLoC with Topics in January 2022. Topics was another proposed browser-based advertising approach: the browser selected interest categories based on browsing activity and shared a subset with participating sites and advertising partners. Google’s Vinay Goel, then Product Director for Privacy Sandbox, Chrome, wrote that “Topics was informed by our learning and widespread community feedback from our earlier FLoC trials, and replaces our FLoC proposal.” Google announced Topics on January 25, 2022.
On October 17, 2025, Google said it had decided to retire Topics and several other Privacy Sandbox technologies, citing ecosystem feedback and low adoption. The company said phase-out would follow Chrome and Android processes, but that update did not provide a full implementation timetable. Google’s retirement update is the relevant current-status notice. FLoC and Topics therefore belong in the history of Chrome’s advertising proposals, not in present-day instructions for blocking an active FLoC feature.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do if you want DuckDuckGo’s current tracking protections
You do not need to install an extension specifically to block FLoC. DuckDuckGo’s current help documentation says its Chrome extension disables Topics and Protected Audience, while allowing limited exceptions when needed for sign-in or essential site functionality. Those statements describe the extension’s documented protections, not the 2021 FLoC block. Google’s 2025 announcement said Topics and Protected Audience were slated for retirement.
If you choose the extension for its broader privacy features, DuckDuckGo’s installation help calls it “DuckDuckGo Search & Tracker Protection” and says it changes Chrome’s search engine to DuckDuckGo. DuckDuckGo also describes tracker blocking and encrypted connections where possible. Review the product’s current description and settings before installing, since these are broader features than the historical FLoC protection.
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- DuckDuckGo’s current web tracking protections documentation
- DuckDuckGo’s Chrome extension installation help
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