Brave is essentially just Chrome with an adblocker, a bunch of bloatware, and a bunch of controversies.
Brave took BAT donations in YouTuber’s names without their consent, with them keeping the money if the YouTubers didn’t claim it. https://davidgerard.co.uk/blockchain/2019/01/13/brave-web-browser-no-longer-claims-to-fundraise-on-behalf-of-others-so-thats-nice/
Brave’s search engine crawler hides itself from websites by pretending to be Googlebot, and Meta (Facebook) buys API access from them to train their AI. https://stackdiary.com/brave-selling-copyrighted-data-for-ai-training/
The business model of Brave rewards as a whole is to block all other ad networks to replace them with their own, which is unfair as only YouTubers and websites that have joined can make money from most Brave users.
If Brave actually cared, they would create an acceptable ads style feature which was free for everyone and allowed simple contextual banners while blocking ads which track you, take up most of the page, or have NSFW content.
Their approach is monopolistic as they have full control and can strangle YouTubers and websites by dropping pay at any time.
And Brenden Eich has said on Twitter that he plans to release “Brave Origin”, which is a paid version of Brave without the bloatware. That name is ironic as he is admitting that his browser is commercialised and bloated, which is similar to when gorhill gave uBlock way to Chris Aljoudi who commercialised it, which led him to create uBlock Origin.
If you use Brave, ditch it and look at using Librewolf or Helium instead, which both include no ads nor tracking and don’t have Brave News, Rewards, Wallet, Talk etc bloatware.
Give vivaldi a try, not because brave is bad, but because vivaldi is better in every way.
Vivaldi being proprietary makes it worse than Brave, even with Brave’s controversies. But I would still rather use Librewolf, but there is even Ungoogled-Chromium if you really need it.
There is definitely a space for a “deBraved” browser that keeps the good parts. That would be the best chromium browser.
Its just as open source as the other chromium based browsers
https://vivaldi.com/source/
They also have very valid reasons for keeping the features that make the UI unique closed, seeing how many open source projects like ffmpeg get completely taken advantage of its a smart move.
Youll find that parts of brave arent actually open source either, such as their built in AI or the build in crypto wallet.
At some point you gotta ask if its worth having open source purity tests when even the flagship products are shoveling AI and other garbage no one wants into their browser.
Librewolf might pass that purity test for now, but without mozilla librewolf likely would not continue, vivaldi does not have this problem.
I disagree with this take. As someone who feels entitled to the four freedoms with every program I run, proprietary is a dealbreaker. Crypto and “AI” crap can be disabled or removed. If the choice were strictly between Vivaldi and Brave, Brave would be the better option. Fortunately we have better choices.
I don’t use Brave, I use Librewolf (or Ungoogled-Chromium if I need Chromium). I suggested that a “debraved” browser might be the best chromium browser, but apparently Helium is close to this (I haven’t heard of it until today).
I think thats a good position to have, if librewolf works for you i hope it continues to do so.
I used to be more of an open source purist but recent and not so recent events have shifted my thinking, it seems to be one of the four freedoms is regularly taken advantage of by corporations and should be reconsidered. Not that we as individuals shouldnt have those freedoms, but for-profit corps specifically have proven time and time again that they will only take and never give back.
Its just as open source as the other chromium based browsers
https://vivaldi.com/source/
They also have very valid reasons for keeping the features that make the UI unique closed, seeing how many open source projects like ffmpeg get completely taken advantage of its a smart move.
Youll find that parts of brave arent actually open source either, such as their built in AI or the build in crypto wallet.
At some point you gotta ask if its worth having open source purity tests when even the flagship products are shoveling AI and other garbage no one wants into their browser.
Librewolf might pass that purity test for now, but without mozilla librewolf likely would not continue, vivaldi does not have this problem.