Auditors Dive Back Into the Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 Privacy Audit
Cloudflare has published the results of its latest independent privacy audit for 1.1.1.1, once again showing that fast internet doesn’t have to come at the expense of privacy. From day one, the company positioned the service as both the quickest public resolver and the most “invisible” option for users — a tool built on trust rather than data harvesting.
The first external audit happened back in 2020, when 1.1.1.1 was still less than two years old. Since then Cloudflare’s infrastructure has grown far more complex, now supporting multiple DNS systems with a completely new technology stack. That evolution prompted the company to commission a fresh review under today’s real-world conditions.
What the Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 Privacy Audit Confirmed
A major global auditing firm spent several months examining how Cloudflare protects user data in practice. The final report confirms that the original privacy commitments are still being met and that 1.1.1.1 does not use query data for any commercial purposes.
Cloudflare does not sell or share personal information from the DNS resolver with third parties, nor does it apply it to targeted advertising. During normal operation the service keeps only the minimum information needed to answer requests, and that information is never tied to an individual user. IP addresses are anonymized and automatically deleted within 25 hours.
Inside Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 Data Handling and Privacy Protections
A very small slice of network traffic — no more than 0.05 percent — may be selectively reviewed for diagnostics and attack protection, but only for technical security purposes.
The latest audit focused strictly on privacy questions. Cloudflare noted that its approach to anonymized logs has evolved since the 2020 review; those logs are now used in analytical products such as Cloudflare Radar. The company stresses that these changes do not involve any personal user information.
Key Changes Since the First Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 Privacy Audit in 2020
At its foundation, Cloudflare designed the 1.1.1.1 architecture so it would have no technical ability to track the online activity of specific individuals. The company hopes regular independent audits will become the industry norm as DNS providers increasingly sit between users and the wider internet.
While Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 offers a fast and private browsing experience, you can explore even more robust options for safeguarding your online activities by learning how NextDNS Secure Browsing: How to Protect Your Privacy and Block Trackers Easily proactively blocks trackers and enhances your privacy.
