Problems with Brave

I pasted here the post by u/foamed [https://libreddit.oxymagnesium.com/u/foamed] at https://www.reddit.com/r/FoamList/comments/q4z5js/brave_browser_controversies/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/FoamList/comments/q4z5js/brave_browser_controversies/]

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Some information about the co-founder & CEO of Brave, Brandon Eich [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan_Eich].

Controversial past and opinions:

• https://blog.mozilla.org/en/mozilla/brendan-eich-steps-down-as-mozilla-ceo/ [https://blog.mozilla.org/en/mozilla/brendan-eich-steps-down-as-mozilla-ceo/]
• https://www.theverge.com/2014/4/3/5579516/outfoxed-how-protests-forced-mozillas-ceo-to-resign-in-11-days [https://www.theverge.com/2014/4/3/5579516/outfoxed-how-protests-forced-mozillas-ceo-to-resign-in-11-days]
• https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-26868536 [https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-26868536]
• https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/mozilla-boss-brendan-eich-quits-in-row-over-his-opposition-to-gay-marriage-9237701.html [https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/mozilla-boss-brendan-eich-quits-in-row-over-his-opposition-to-gay-marriage-9237701.html]
• https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/apr/02/controversial-mozilla-ceo-made-donations-right-wing-candidates-brendan-eich [https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/apr/02/controversial-mozilla-ceo-made-donations-right-wing-candidates-brendan-eich]

Anti-vaxxer:

• https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/22/business/brave-brendan-eich-covid-19.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/22/business/brave-brendan-eich-covid-19.html]
• @BrendanEich: “Fauci lies a lot.” - Dec 11, 2020 [https://twitter.com/BrendanEich/status/1337496169690230784]
• https://www.reddit.com/r/BATProject/comments/khmbvl/do_you_feel_that_brendan_should_step_back_from/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/BATProject/comments/khmbvl/do_you_feel_that_brendan_should_step_back_from/]

Eich pushed an anti-vaxx conspiracy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrendanEich/status/1538253982845399040 [https://twitter.com/BrendanEich/status/1538253982845399040] - If you look at the “source” it’s from a nutritionist who’s also a conspiracy nut. There are no verifiable and trusted sources.

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Here are some controversies surrounding Brave and their browser over the past couple of years:

Privacy related:

• https://www.lifewire.com/brave-browser-falls-short-of-its-promises-of-privacy-5206799 [https://www.lifewire.com/brave-browser-falls-short-of-its-promises-of-privacy-5206799]

Brave automatically redirected searches to affiliate version of URL’s which Brave profits from:

• https://decrypt.co/31522/crypto-brave-browser-redirect [https://decrypt.co/31522/crypto-brave-browser-redirect]
• https://www.zdnet.com/article/privacy-browser-brave-busted-for-autocompleting-urls-to-versions-it-profits-from/ [https://www.zdnet.com/article/privacy-browser-brave-busted-for-autocompleting-urls-to-versions-it-profits-from/]
• https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/8/21283769/brave-browser-affiliate-links-crypto-privacy-ceo-apology [https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/8/21283769/brave-browser-affiliate-links-crypto-privacy-ceo-apology]

Brave collected donations on content creators behalf without consent:

• https://bitcoinist.com/brave-browser-donations-not-optional/ [https://bitcoinist.com/brave-browser-donations-not-optional/]
• https://www.theblockcrypto.com/daily/5839/brave-browser-is-collecting-donations-on-your-behalf-did-you-know [https://www.theblockcrypto.com/daily/5839/brave-browser-is-collecting-donations-on-your-behalf-did-you-know]
• https://davidgerard.co.uk/blockchain/2019/01/13/brave-web-browser-no-longer-claims-to-fundraise-on-behalf-of-others-so-thats-nice/ [https://davidgerard.co.uk/blockchain/2019/01/13/brave-web-browser-no-longer-claims-to-fundraise-on-behalf-of-others-so-thats-nice/]

Brave leaked Tor/Onion service requests through DNS:

• https://www.reddit.com/r/netsec/comments/lndfms/more_in_comments_brave_browser_leaks_your_tor/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/netsec/comments/lndfms/more_in_comments_brave_browser_leaks_your_tor/]
• https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues/13527 [https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues/13527]
• https://www.ghacks.net/2021/02/25/latest-brave-browser-update-fixes-tor-onion-dns-leak/ [https://www.ghacks.net/2021/02/25/latest-brave-browser-update-fixes-tor-onion-dns-leak/]

And this to some degree where they temporarily whitelisted certain Facebook and Twitter trackers without telling their users:

• https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19129309 [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19129309]

Sending unsolicited marketing mail to users, though Brave claim its all anonymous:

• https://twitter.com/sebmck/status/1531740563900448769 [https://twitter.com/sebmck/status/1531740563900448769]
• https://www.reddit.com/r/brave_browser/comments/t4gzuw/update_on_braves_ongoing_direct_mail_marketing/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/brave_browser/comments/t4gzuw/update_on_braves_ongoing_direct_mail_marketing/]

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And if you want more, here’s some more. https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/v44vut/brave_browser_sending_unsolicited_marketing_mail/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/v44vut/brave_browser_sending_unsolicited_marketing_mail/] that links this Twitter interaction: https://nitter.net/sebmck/status/1531740563900448769 [https://nitter.net/sebmck/status/1531740563900448769]

…if you really have trouble finding stuff on how Brave is terrible for privacy, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say you have trouble reading. It’s known by most people that it’s a scam. They sold private user data to machine learning companies, they are predominantly a crypto company who has a browser, they are chromium based, etc