Why is DuckDuckGo the default search engine in Tor Browser?
Tor Browser uses DuckDuckGo as its default search engine because it does not log or share personal information, making it better aligned with Tor's privacy goals.
Starting with Tor Browser 6.0.6, DuckDuckGo became the default search engine. Previously, Tor Browser used Disconnect, a meta search engine that let users choose between providers. But when Disconnect lost access to Google's results, it fell back to Bing, which provided lower-quality results.
DuckDuckGo does not log, collect or share the user's personal information or their search history, and therefore is best positioned to protect your privacy. Most other search engines store your searches along with other information such as the timestamp, your IP address, and your account information if you are logged in.
If you're having a problem with DuckDuckGo, please see the DuckDuckGo support portal.
DuckDuckGo onion service
DuckDuckGo also operates an onion service for private search over Tor.
In Tor Browser, clicking the “Onionize” option in DuckDuckGo will automatically switch you to the onion version of their search engine.