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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
