AI-wear: DuckDuckGo not too long ago launched a brand new pair of sun shades designed to respect privateness in an AI-saturated world. The product is actual, not simply advertising and marketing, though the search engine firm is clearly making an attempt to make some extent.
DuckDuckGo’s newest product is a pair of peculiar sun shades, with no added options equivalent to video recording or generative AI integration. Half advertising and marketing marketing campaign and half wearable attire, designed in partnership with Knockaround, the aptly named “Regular F***ing Sun shades” cater to clients who’d fairly not take into consideration privateness whereas strolling down the road on a sunny day.
The matte black sun shades are primarily based on Knockaround’s Paso Robles body design, which incorporates all the traditional “options” you’d count on from a classy eyewear product: polarized lenses with full UV400 safety, and FDA-compliant influence resistance. The product description additionally notes the glasses embody no battery, no exterior energy supply, and no electronics or AI integration by any means.
– DuckDuckGo (@DuckDuckGo) July 30, 2026
In keeping with a DuckDuckGo spokesperson, the Regular F***ing Sun shades had been conceived as a satirical jab at privacy-invasive merchandise creeping into one more piece of “dumb” analog expertise.
Meta and different tech corporations are turning sun shades into surveillance units, the spokesperson mentioned, which is why privacy-conscious patrons are nonetheless drawn to plain glasses with no hint of video recording or AI.
DuckDuckGo’s try to needle Large Tech over its urge for food for consumer knowledge could also be a stunt, however the sun shades are already promoting effectively. They bought out inside days, with the corporate confirming {that a} “important” portion of the stock has been depleted, although it says it is too early to share full gross sales figures.
Along with sun shades, DuckDuckGo has a browser, too.
DuckDuckGo has taken a transparent stance on generative AI and different LLM-based instruments, having requested customers whether or not they needed AI outcomes absolutely built-in into search. An awesome majority mentioned no, which is why the corporate now retains AI content material and interactions confined to a separate web page.
The newest site visitors knowledge suggests most customers again that call, although some are nonetheless ribbing the corporate for “promoting out” to the AI development anyway. The Regular F***ing Sun shades marketing campaign has caught on with different satirical shops too – The Onion ran a pretend roundup of client reactions to the brand new sun shades.
