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Brave browser, which enables a person to block all advertisements and trackers that monitors website visits, has launched a Tor feature for better protection against tracking. The latest version (0.23) of the desktop browser, which pays BAT tokens to opt-in viewers of advertisements, provides the Tor menu.
However, the Tor menu can be seen inside private tabs only. So, a user has to start a private tab session in order to see the Tor feature, which facilitates connection with the Tor network.
Brave team has once cautioned that all the unique features provided by the browser are in beta and there are confirmed issues and leaks (details of users browsing through Tor network). Furthermore, Brave team has recommended the use of official Tor browser for optimum security. Further updates are expected in the weeks to come.
The Brave team is also planning to support exit node geolocation in the near-future. When Tor network is used, many websites understand the exit node locations as the native country of the user. This usually makes a user frustrated. The addition of Tor facility makes sense to Brave, which leads the campaign on ad-blocking and anti-tracking.
The use of Tor network results in slow connections. However, Brave is running Tor relays to expand bandwidth (resulting in higher browsing speed) of the entire Tor network (& not just Brave), according to an announcement made by Brave team. More bandwidth is planned to be added in the coming months. Tor network would be quite happy to support the development as historically it was a real pain for them to increase bandwidth because of the costs and other issues involved. So far, the number of monthly active users (MAU) has crossed 6 million.
The browser already has received a positive feedback from its users. In particular, the speed with which it loads websites has drawn appreciations from regular internet users. A majority of the internet users have opined that the browser is faster than Chrome and Firefox. Brave Browser offers three options to users: block ads completely, provide whitelist advertisements, or allow users to earn money for viewing advertisements without any kind of blocker. Obviously, the last option is attractive to users who are always looking for opportunities to earn money while performing their regular tasks.
The last option is now on the final stages of becoming a reality with the launch of the Brave Ads Trial Program. Even though, the program is only in the trial phase, still, it has shown how improved browsing experience can be to an ordinary internet user. Getting paid for watching ads is a refreshing change for sparing the computers resources. During the trial period, a user will be shown ‘relevant ads’ a few times a day. This itself is a big relief to internet users who are usually pounded with the same advertisements on all the websites they visit.
For every advertisement seen by a user, BAT tokens will be given as reward to the user. The money received from advertisers is shared by Brave with its users. As much as 70% of profits will be shared by Brave, although it won’t make any internet user rich in a short span of time or assist in paying all the utility bills.
