Privacy-focused web browser company founded by Brendan Eich. Brave browser blocks ads and trackers by default and uses the Basic Attention Token (BAT) cryptocurrency.
In February 2021, security researchers discovered that Brave's private browsing with Tor mode was leaking DNS queries for .onion addresses to the user's regular DNS resolver rather than routing them through Tor. This exposed users' attempts to visit hidden services to their ISP or DNS provider, undermining the core privacy guarantees of Tor browsing. Brave acknowledged the bug and issued a patch.
In June 2020, Brave browser was discovered automatically appending affiliate referral codes to cryptocurrency exchange URLs (Binance, Coinbase, Ledger, Trezor) typed into the address bar, without user consent or disclosure. This contradicted Brave's privacy-first branding and likely violated FTC affiliate disclosure requirements. CEO Brendan Eich initially defended the practice before promising to make it opt-in.
Brave ships with Shields enabled by default, blocking third-party ads, trackers, cross-site cookies, fingerprinting, and bounce tracking out of the box. Independent testing by EFF's Cover Your Tracks project gives Brave a 'strong protection' rating, and PrivacyTests.org consistently ranks Brave highest among major browsers for out-of-box tracker blocking. Brave randomizes browser fingerprints to prevent cross-site tracking, a feature unique among mainstream browsers.
In December 2018, YouTuber Tom Scott publicly revealed that Brave's Rewards system allowed users to tip BAT tokens to his channel despite him never signing up for or consenting to the program. Brave had not paid him the tipped money and did not clearly indicate to users that creators were not enrolled, raising concerns about misleading users and unauthorized use of creators' identities for fundraising.
In 2017, Brave launched the Basic Attention Token (BAT), an opt-in advertising system where users choose to view privacy-preserving ads and earn up to 70% of ad revenue as BAT tokens. Ad matching happens locally on the device so neither Brave nor advertisers learn user browsing habits. The browser is free and open-source (Chromium-based), aiming to realign incentives between users, publishers, and advertisers without requiring data collection.