The Brave Privacy Browser Isn’t So Private Afterall
We’ve been asked many times what we think of a supposed privacy browser named “Brave”. The Brave browser makes privacy claims of which we were skeptical after we testing it and learning it was basically supported by selling cryptocurrency on its opening page and via redirect links. Yes, it is true that users modify Brave, but a browser that advances itself by proclaiming to be a privacy browser should be a privacy browser right out of the box.
If Brave can violate users’ trust by profiting from redirecting links to affiliates, what else might it be doing behind its facade of privacy and trust?
It appears that Brave has been caught being not-so-private and after being caught Brave’s CEO promised to clean things up. Shouldn’t a privacy browser be private from the getgo?
It appears our suspicions were correct and the Brave browser wasn’t so private after all.
Read this article from “Decrypt”…
Privacy browser Brave under fire for violating users’ trust
The Chromium-based browser, Brave has been profiting from redirect links to affiliate crypto companies.
In brief
Brave has been redirecting searches to crypto companies to affiliate links that give it a commission.
Binance, Coinbase and Trezor are among crypto companies that Brave profits from through affiliate links.
The company’s CEO apologized and promised that there will be no more links like this.
Brave, the crypto-friendly, privacy-first browser has been earning affiliate commissions by redirecting certain search queries to crypto companies via affiliate links.
Unlike the “opt-in” principle by which the company abides—advertisements are optional on the browser and pay out cryptocurrency to anyone who views them—Brave never asked its 15 million monthly users about these redirects.
A firestorm erupted today after twitter user Yannick Eckl, who goes by “CRYPTONATOR1337,” noticed that when Brave’s users searched for Binance, the browser automatically redirected to an affiliate version of the URL, which Brave profits from.