Security and Privacy: The Fortress of Brave

This browser is marketed as having robust security and privacy features, akin to a castle with towering walls. Built on Chromium, it shares similarities with Google Chrome (more details can be found here).

My conclusion: It's as secure as advertised.

The browser claims to have blocked 44,249 trackers and advertisements, saving users 1.33 GB of bandwidth and 37 minutes of browsing time.

But do these statistics resonate with me?

To be frank, not really. My primary concern was the actual influence this shift would have on my daily browsing habits. Although I understand the necessity of ads for creators, I prefer to avoid them as a regular internet user. Ads can detract from the enjoyment of content; for instance, watching a 10-minute video interrupted by four ads can be jarring. After three months of ad-free viewing, I only realized the significant change when I borrowed a friend's laptop and encountered two five-second ads right away. While I appreciate the creators, I must admit it feels liberating to skip the ads entirely.

The Allure of Basic Attention Token (BAT)

Now, let's discuss the second enticing feature of Brave: BAT, the Basic Attention Token.

Brave has introduced its own cryptocurrency, allowing users to earn BAT just by using the browser while viewing privacy-friendly ads in the form of notifications. Users can customize how many ads they receive, with options ranging from one to five per hour.

However, if cryptocurrencies aren't your thing or you're not keen on earning a little passive income, you can easily disable Brave Rewards and avoid ads altogether.

As I noted in my earlier article, using Brave hasn’t made me wealthy, but here’s a breakdown of my earnings over three months of usage:

Approximately $1 per month.

So, as soon as I finish this write-up, I won’t be rushing to a luxury car dealership. On a serious note, the concept of generating passive income from software usage is a brilliant marketing strategy and keeps users engaged with the browser. While I haven’t struck it rich, I’m still $3 better off than I would have been using Chrome over the past three months.

I appreciate the notion of having a growing crypto wallet without any hassle. Perhaps by the end of the year, I’ll transfer my earnings to another wallet for trading (shout out to all the Bitcoin enthusiasts)—the possibilities are exciting!

Final Thoughts: Is Brave Worth It?

In my view, it’s a resounding yes! I adore Google and utilize many of its integrations in my work, which operate seamlessly within Brave. Given all the reasons above, I plan to continue using Brave.

Do you agree, or shall we prepare for a debate?

Stay safe,

M.R.