Brave’s Search Engine Starts Offering ‘Privacy-Preserving Ads’

Last year, Brave Software launched its own privacy-focused search engine. But now the same engine is getting a notorious feature known for data-tracking: Online ads. 

On Thursday, the company began testing ads in Brave Search. However, Brave Software says its own approach will refrain from profiling or tracking user’s activity to power targeted ads. 

“Brave Search only uses your search query, country, and device type to show you ads, and does not keep any kind of profile of your searches,” the company wrote(Opens in a new window) in the announcement. No IP address data is taken either. 

Hence, the company says its rolling out “privacy-preserving ads,” which nix the data-tracking while ensuring Brave Software can make enough revenue to fund the search engine. “Brave Search ads are fundamentally different: They provide the same utility minus all the tracking and privacy invasions found in other search ads,” the company added.  

The ads in Brave Search will be clearly marked as “Ad Beta” and can appear at the top of the search results. The company also plans on rewarding users when viewing ads by offering small amounts in a digital token, a feature already present in the Brave Browser, which also integrates Brave Search. 

The company’s plan to serve ads is nothing new; last year, Brave Software said its search engine would eventually implement privacy-friendly ads. Still, not everyone seems to be happy about the announcement. On Twitter, a few users have indicated(Opens in a new window) they plan on switching to other platforms. 

Tweet(Opens in a new window)

However, Brave’s privacy policy(Opens in a new window) insists the search engine can still maintain a user’s privacy despite the ads. “We don’t collect personal information about you, your device or your searches,” the policy says. Users can also receive an ad-free experience by paying $3 a month for Brave Search Premium(Opens in a new window), although this requires paying with a credit card.