It's impossible to use a platform without revealing some details about yourself. Either physical or organic, they will get some data out of you.
What's important to me, personally, is that platform doesn't share or sell what it has learned about you, and doesn't use potentially sensitive information in its advertising.
It would be unrealistic to expect a platform to not collect any data and still function. Analytics is the foundation for the feedback loop that it takes to effectively develop something like DDG.
If I go to an adult toy store I expect the person at the counter to know, but I don't want him telling everyone else.
Not all data collections are created equal. Canvas fingerprinting really only has one use, and that is to try to circumvent a user's decision to delete site cookies (or not accept them in the first place). That, combined with the fact that DDG's entire marketing campaign is that they respect your privacy, is a bad sign. They may not be using this information for anything nefarious now, but it does seem plausible that this is a canary in a coal mine.
Are they using canvas fingerprinting though (or are they fingerprinting screen resolution)? I downloaded Canvas Defender to check and it doesn't go off, though it does on tons of other sites. Which seems like it'd be a big story as well, that they were working with a company to hide it. But that sounds unlikely. I think they are fingerprinting screen resolution. Which isn't that unique.
What's important to me, personally, is that platform doesn't share or sell what it has learned about you, and doesn't use potentially sensitive information in its advertising.
It would be unrealistic to expect a platform to not collect any data and still function. Analytics is the foundation for the feedback loop that it takes to effectively develop something like DDG.
If I go to an adult toy store I expect the person at the counter to know, but I don't want him telling everyone else.