Are you BRAVE enough to give your biometric data, address where you sleep, & government ID to your browser?
Brave is a free program that advertises itself as the best privacy browser available, and has created a buzz by including a built-in wallet and offering free cryptocurrency just for viewing webpages.
Those 2 things sound very welcome in today's modern internet world. In fact, they sound almost too good to be true.
I've tried Brave for a few weeks now, and it does seem to be a fairly good browser that blocks most ads, and does its best to preserve your browsing privacy.
However, I have a couple MAJOR problems with the free crypto and built-in wallet.
1.) You aren't compensated at the agreed-upon rate. Brave allows you to select how many small ads you'd like to pop up in the corner of the browser per hour. You're paid a certain amount of BAT (their internal digital currency) per ad.
Unfortunately, Brave doesn't deliver the number of ads you select, and doesn't always pay you for ads viewed. I suspected this was happening, and followed it very closely over the past week, to confirm that I'm not even getting half the compensation I should be.
Yes, I realize that it's "free money", but that doesn't mean I have no right to complain. There's an agreement between myself and the people who produced Brave, that says I will do X, and they will do Y. I agreed to abide by their offered arrangement. They aren't following through, and to me, that indicates likely greater issues with the company and people involved. Little lies and tricks usually mean bigger lies and tricks are hiding just under the surface. No thanks.
2.) Even more seriously, Brave uses multiple 3rd-parties to manage the financial side of the browser, including a company called Uphold, which itself also uses multiple 3rd-parties. To continue, you must agree to allow all these groups to share your info between each other.
Also, Uphold doesn't disclose up front everything that will be required of the applicant during the wallet setup process. Every step seems like it's the final one, but there's always another, more complicated and invasive than the one before it. Finally, after giving complete strangers access to almost ALL my private information, the final step required BIOMETRIC DATA (or current & valid government-issued ID) and a Smart phone with a wireless data plan.
Since I don't have and will never have a Smart device, or use wireless data, or give strangers my biometric data, or have current (new) government ID, there's no way I can complete signup for the built-in wallet. I would never have confirmed my email address, made up passwords and secret questions/answers, or given up my full first and last name, birthdate, or home address ("where you sleep at night"), if I knew up front about those requirements! I had checked carefully before proceeding that none of those things would be required. This is known as a classic "bait and switch" tactic. When companies do this to you, run away at all costs, and never look back. It's a sign they are about to completely abuse your trust.
Cancelling
When I cancelled the signup, I emailed the support team at Uphold, asking them to delete the data they had collected on me, as I wouldn't be needing their services. I got a nonsensical response: "Unfortunately, we weren’t able to verify your ID this time round. There are many reasons this can happen. For example, photos may not be well lit, text not clearly readable, or you may have submitted a duplicate ID." I replied, telling them their email made no sense, and that I wanted my saved personal details deleted, since I wouldn't be completing their signup process.
Their next response was: "While reviewing your account, we discovered a potential security risk with the information you provided when creating your account. As a result, we have placed a precautionary measure of suspending your account." Followed by: "Our apologies for the issues you are having with the DSAR portal. I'm showing your request was opened on 13 December 2019, however, the email address hasn't been confirmed. Please check your SPAM folder if you have not done so already." None of that made any sense. It was like they meant to send those emails to someone else. Totally random, and completely unhelpful.
They don't appear to be answering my emails anymore, claiming they can't be sure I'm really who I say I am, so they can't give me any information or help me with the account in question.
In other words, they got my home address and other private details, it's associated with my Brave browser, and there's nothing I can do about it.
The result being that I have to uninstall it.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a private browser, Brave might be it. But if you're also looking for a built-in crypto wallet, free money for viewing ads, and the ability to monetize content through your browser, don't even consider Brave. There's literally no way to be even partially private if you enable the financial side of the program.
For a private cryptocurrency wallet that does have some privacy, and the ability to earn crypto for content, I recommend Flote.app. The Steem blockchain is another contender. But thus far, no browser has been able to do it.
DRutter
EDIT: More than 3 weeks later, still no word on if my data has been deleted or not. I did receive my first monthly payout, though:
Not that it can be transferred to other users, or spent, or withdrawn, etc. It's like money that belongs to me, but I can't use or spend. Oh well!
At least there's the option...not very good options though: either a private browser without the ability to make cryptos, or ability to make cryptos plus total retinal and rectal scans.
The big round eye of a camera is good for getting right in the butthole and getting a panoramic view!
Holy ...shit.
I have Brave and had started to set up the wallet part but then stopped because I had signed up with my new name (Phoenix), which isn't legal yet, so I decided I'd just let it build up and wait until it WAS legal and then I'd set up the account.
Biometric data?? What the actual fuck? Nevermind, won't be doing that then...
I guess I'll just tip out the BAT I've earned so far to others who may have already done all that. Now I'm super curious whose biometrics are stored as regards corporate entities who are signed up to receive BAT like Steemit, and The Guardian news site. Did Ned give them his retina scan? O.o
Haha, good questions!
Thanks for sharing your experience with it. That's what I mean, they make each step seem like the final one, but then there's another, more invasive one, right behind it. Then you arrive at the biometric step (which I assume was actually the last one). They did NOT say that was coming! I'm certain, because I always watch for this kind of "signup scam". First it's just a field asking for your email address, and everybody's got one of those, so we do it. Then, we have to confirm (prove that's really your address), which is a pain, but gets you to the next step. Which is usually more invasive, like personal info, but you give it because you've come this far. But then you're stuck with even worse steps, and finally a step you would NEVER have contemplated, had you not been coaxed into doing so. And a lot of people aren't like you or I... they'll acquiesce and go along to get along... they'll run off and grab their government ID, and scan their retinas with their Smart cam, and tell them their mother's maiden name and where they were first kissed. Meanwhile the company admits it's sharing this data with other companies, which use other programs and apps and companies to analyze it. Hell to the no, that's the OPPOSITE of protecting my privacy, that's attaching my biometrics to every website I visit, everyone I talk to, everything I download. People who install that all the way through are willingly turning their device or computer into a sophisticated spying machine, operated by big tech and the alphabet agencies. We have enough privacy worries without purposely bringing them into our lives.
I bet their signups would drop in half if they admit "your biometric data will be collected and attached to your internet activity" up front, BEFORE tricking people into getting 3/4 of the way through signup!
It was pretty clear when you signed up that the Brave Rewards Token was subject to changes and not complete, I think it even referenced taking the currency out is a right the company reserves, I signed up over a year ago maybe this has changed.
The cryptowallets were just a quirky add on for fan boys because storing your keys on a browser isnt safe to begin with, especially without 2FA.
The encryption used by a few third party password managers is superior to google and apple but I am not sure how trustworthy the businesses are, or if they use bulletproof hosting.
I don't have a blanket policy of avoiding all beta projects, but maybe I should. Then again, the entire crypto world is in beta, including this blockchain, so I'd really be limiting myself that way. Maybe I'll just have to keep doing my due diligence, backing out of any shady projects, and reporting on anything I see so that others can make informed choices as they do their own due diligence.
It's interesting to hear how the browser has changed since it first came out. I only first tried it this month.
This is literally why I took so long to get onto the weed cash Network, I am happy that is doing well it seems though.
I bet that all changes as more folks reject it.
I use brave, but never gave more than an email to the app store.
I can wait for them to pull their heads out to collect the crypto.
I've been one of the few who has been warning people about Brave browser.
In my Part 2 of my 3 part expose Digital Con of the Century: The DCG Group – How we are being sucked into a digital slave matrix I go into why - which is mainly that of who currently owns and controls it.
In my opinion, these are some very nefarious players who are scheming new digital slave matrices.
I invite you all to have a look at this extensively-documented expose.
Cheers,
Thanks very much for the suggestion, and link. I'm going to check it out, as this is a very important topic, and as you say not enough coverage has been done on it.
Cheers my new friend. I look forward to your thoughts about Brave afterwards. I still have some doubt as to whether I am being too paranoid about it; but my gut instinct just screams it so.
This article erroneously ended up in the "hive-167922" tag. I don't even know what that is. It was supposed to go into the "crypto" category. Sorry about that.