Andrew Heinzman
Brave is now the only web browser with an in-house private search engine. First announced in March, Brave Search is available as a public beta. With a design that’s similar to Chrome, it’s already a compelling alternative to the privacy-focused DuckDuckGo.
For the uninitiated, Brave is a Chromium-based web browser with an unapologetic focus on user privacy. It looks and feels like Chrome or Edge, but automatically blocks trackers, forces HTTPs, and even has a built-in TOR browser. Rather than collecting and selling user data, Brave pays its bills with an optional BAT system, which generates Ethereum through non-traditional, privacy-first advertising.
While the Brave browser addresses the privacy flaws of traditional browsers, Brave Search tries to tackle the problems of Google Search and Bing. It uses an independent and transparent search index, allowing users to understand why their searches turn up certain results. Interestingly, Brave claims that its search engine is anti-bias, as algorithms do not dictate search results.
Brave Search Beta is a bit jumbled right now, and pulls its image results from Bing. Still, it’s interesting to see Brave Search offer dedicated image, news, and video result tabs right out the gate. The company’s progress is impressive, though it’s worth pointing out that this search engine is based on Tailcat, so its development goes back a lot further than the initial Brave Search announcement.
You can try Brave Search Beta at search.brave.com or in the Brave browser’s search bar. Brave Search will become the default search engine for Brave browser later this year.
Source: Brave via Android Police
