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removed a bunch of "I" statements

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Baobab 2020-12-29 21:19:49 +01:00
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<h1>Brave</h1> <h1>Brave</h1>
<p>Brave Browser is a Chromium fork with many interesting features not found elsewhere, such as built-in Adblock and other extensions, fingerprinting protection, a cleaner Preferences menu compared to other Chrome forks, and the (opt-in) ability to automatically support (pay) the websites you visit. The developers describe it as <i>"A browser with your interests at heart."</i><sup><a href="#one">[1]</a></sup> with the built-in privacy protections.</p> <p>Brave Browser is a Chromium fork with many interesting features not found elsewhere, such as built-in Adblock and other extensions, fingerprinting protection, a cleaner Preferences menu compared to other Chrome forks, and the (opt-in) ability to automatically support (pay) the websites you visit. The developers describe it as <i>"A browser with your interests at heart."</i><sup><a href="#one">[1]</a></sup> with the built-in privacy protections.</p>
<h2>Spyware Level: <span class="orange">High</span></h2> <h2>Spyware Level: <span class="orange">High</span></h2>
<p>Brave is self updating software, uses <a href="../articles/google.html">Google</a> as the default search engine, has built-in telemetry, and even has an opt-out rss-like news feed similar to Firefox Pocket. These features aren't the first things that come to mind when I imagine a privacy oriented browser.</p> <p>Brave is self updating software, uses <a href="../articles/google.html">Google</a> as the default search engine, has built-in telemetry, and even has an opt-out rss-like news feed similar to Firefox Pocket. These shouldn't be the things that comes to mind if someone were to imagine a privacy oriented browser.</p>
<h3>Whitelisting spyware from Facebook and Twitter</h3> <h3>Whitelisting spyware from Facebook and Twitter</h3>
<p>On its website, Brave claims that <i>"Brave fights malware and prevents tracking, keeping your information safe and secure. It’s our top priority."</i><sup><a href="#six">[6]</a></sup>. Yet despite this claim, Brave actually disables its tracking protections for Facebook and Twitter's scripts that allow them to track people across the web.<sup><a href="#five">[5]</a></sup> Brave has been actively downplaying the role that JavaScript plays when tracking someone.</p> <p>On its website, Brave claims that <i>"Brave fights malware and prevents tracking, keeping your information safe and secure. It’s our top priority."</i><sup><a href="#six">[6]</a></sup>. Yet despite this claim, Brave actually disables its tracking protections for Facebook and Twitter's scripts that allow them to track people across the web.<sup><a href="#five">[5]</a></sup> Brave has been actively downplaying the role that JavaScript plays when tracking someone.</p>
<br></br> <br></br>
<p><i>"Loading a script from an edge-cache does not track a user without third-party cookies or equivalent browser-local storage, which Brave always blocks and always will block. In other words, sending requests and receiving responses without cookies or other means of identifying users does not necessarily create a tracking threat."</i><sup><a href="#seven">[7]</a></sup></p> <p><i>"Loading a script from an edge-cache does not track a user without third-party cookies or equivalent browser-local storage, which Brave always blocks and always will block. In other words, sending requests and receiving responses without cookies or other means of identifying users does not necessarily create a tracking threat."</i><sup><a href="#seven">[7]</a></sup></p>
<br></br> <br></br>
<p>This couldn't be more far from the truth. Just because a website isn't able to store cookies, doesn't mean it can't uniquely identify you. Using JavaScript from Facebook and Twitter would be more than enough to track you and blocking cookies alone isn't going to stop that. Just as a quick point of reference to what information JavaScript can scrape, you might want to visit <a href="https://coveryourtracks.eff.org">this website</a>.</p> <p>This couldn't be more far from the truth. Just because a website isn't able to store cookies, doesn't mean it can't uniquely identify you. Using JavaScript from Facebook and Twitter would be more than enough to track you and blocking cookies alone isn't going to stop that. Just as a quick point of reference to what information JavaScript can scrape, you might want to visit <a href="https://coveryourtracks.eff.org">this website</a>.</p>
<p>They later on added an option to the extension to disable all of the JavaScript, but this new feature seems to be nothing more than the JavaScript switch found in <a href="chrome://settings/content/javascript">vanilla Chromium</a>. They recently added an option <a href="brave://settings/socialBlocking">here</a> to block some of the scripts from Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn after receiving some pushback.</p> <p>They later on added an option to the extension to disable all of the JavaScript, but this new feature seems to be nothing more than the JavaScript switch found in <a href="chrome://settings/content/javascript">vanilla Chromium</a>. They recently added an option <a href="brave://settings/socialBlocking">here</a> to block some of the scripts from Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn after receiving pushback as a result of the controversy.</p>
<p>A quick note on the whitelisting trackers: This specific point on whitelisting trackers isn't making the case of Brave being spyware as much as it's making the case of Brave's privacy features being snake oil.</p> <p>A quick note on the whitelisting trackers: This specific point on whitelisting trackers isn't making the case of Brave being spyware as much as it's making the case of Brave's privacy features being snake oil.</p>
<h3>Auto-updates</h3> <h3>Auto-updates</h3>
<p>Brave will check for updates every time you run it, and you can't turn it off from the browser. Athough, it's on Brave's low priority list to add an option to do so<sup><a href="#two">[2]</a></sup>. I say low priority because it's been over a year and it hasn't been implemented yet.</p> <p>Brave will check for updates every time you run it, and you can't turn it off from the browser. Athough, it's on Brave's low priority list to add an option to do so<sup><a href="#two">[2]</a></sup>. The reason why it's low priority would be because it's been over a year and there hasn't been an implementation of it yet.</p>
<p>A special note is that on most (all?) GNU/Linux distributions, the automatic updates are only for the extensions.</p> <p>A special note is that on most (all?) GNU/Linux distributions, the automatic updates are only for the extensions.</p>
<h3>Anti-privacy search engine by default</h3> <h3>Anti-privacy search engine by default</h3>
<p><a href="../articles/google.html">Google</a> is the default search engine of Brave. For a browser that claims to be privacy oriented, this is a red flag. They at least make it easy for you to change the default search engine on the first run.</p> <p><a href="../articles/google.html">Google</a> is the default search engine of Brave. For a browser that claims to be privacy oriented, this is a red flag. They at least make it easy for you to change the default search engine on the first run.</p>
<h3>Brave has built-in telemetry</h3> <h3>Brave has built-in telemetry</h3>
<p>While running, Brave will make lots of requests to the domain <code>p3a.brave.com</code> as telemetry. They claim they store the collected data for several days<sup><a href="#eight">[8]</a></sup>. Telemetry is the last thing that comes to mind when I imagine a privacy oriented browser. This feature is an opt-out that can be disabled. This opt-out can be disabled <a href="brave://settings/privacy">here</a>.</p> <p>While running, Brave will make lots of requests to the domain <code>p3a.brave.com</code> as telemetry. They claim they store the collected data for several days<sup><a href="#eight">[8]</a></sup>. Telemetry should be the last thing that comes to mind if someone were to imagine a privacy oriented browser. This feature is an opt-out that can be disabled. This opt-out can be disabled <a href="brave://settings/privacy">here</a>.</p>
<h3>Brave Today</h3> <h3>Brave Today</h3>
<p>Brave now has new feature similar to Firefox Pocket called Brave Today. If you don't know what Firefox Pocket is, it's basically an rss-like news feed that's shown in every blank tab. This feature Brave has is sadly an opt-out rather than an opt-in and sends lots of requests to Brave's servers. I can't seem to disable it in and of itself, but <a href="brave://settings/newTab">setting the tabs to blank</a> seems to stop the requests.</p> <p>Brave now has new feature similar to Firefox Pocket called Brave Today. If you don't know what Firefox Pocket is, it's basically an rss-like news feed that's shown in every blank tab. This feature Brave has is sadly an opt-out rather than an opt-in and sends lots of requests to Brave's servers. It can't seem to be disabled it in and of itself, but <a href="brave://settings/newTab">setting the tabs to blank</a> seems to stop the requests.</p>
<h3>SafeBrowsing</h3> <h3>SafeBrowsing</h3>
<p>Brave uses SafeBrowsing. It's a feature that tries to "protect" the user from potentially unsafe websites and extensions. However, it sends requests to fetch the information required to do so. Judging by some of the information in <code>Miscellaneous requests worth noting</code>, I wouldn't put it past Brave to use Google's SafeBrowsing implementation rather than their own. This opt-out can be disabled <a href="brave://settings/security">here</a>.</p> <p>Brave uses SafeBrowsing. It's a feature that tries to "protect" the user from potentially unsafe websites and extensions. However, it sends requests to fetch the information required to do so. Judging by some of the information in <code>Miscellaneous requests worth noting</code> section, it wouldn't be too far-fetched for Brave to use Google's SafeBrowsing rather than their own implementation. This opt-out can be disabled <a href="brave://settings/security">here</a>.</p>
<h3>Brave Rewards</h3> <h3>Brave Rewards</h3>
<p>Brave has a rewards program. You can find more information about it here<sup><a href="#three">[3]</a></sup>. At first glance it looks like the rewards program is an opt-in, but the browser makes requests to these domains regardless if you sign up or not:</p> <p>Brave has a rewards program. You can find more information about it here<sup><a href="#three">[3]</a></sup>. At first glance it looks like the rewards program is an opt-in, but the browser makes requests to these domains regardless if you sign up or not:</p>
<div class="center"> <div class="center">
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<h3>Miscellaneous requests worth noting</h3> <h3>Miscellaneous requests worth noting</h3>
<p>Brave on first run sends a request to fetch the library used for checking spelling errors:</p> <p>Brave on first run sends a request to fetch the library used for checking spelling errors:</p>
<img class="screenshot" src="../images/brave/brave-dict.png" alt="brave spelling library"/> <img class="screenshot" src="../images/brave/brave-dict.png" alt="brave spelling library"/>
<p>Brave on first run sends a request to <code>variations.brave.com</code>, which if I had to give a guess, has to do with the crypto aspect of the rewards program. It could also be some way of verifying the list of affiliates. The later is unlikely because the request that fetches the list of affiliates is constant to whether or not the seed request is made:</p> <p>Brave on first run sends a request to <code>variations.brave.com</code>. A guess would be that this request has to do with the crypto aspect of the rewards program. It could also be some way of verifying the list of affiliates. The later is unlikely because the request that fetches the list of affiliates is constant to whether or not the seed request is made:</p>
<img class="screenshot" src="../images/brave/brave-cert.png" alt="brave verification tool"/> <img class="screenshot" src="../images/brave/brave-cert.png" alt="brave verification tool"/>
<p>Right after the request to <code>variations.brave.com</code> is made, Brave fetches the list of affiliates through <code>laptop-updates.brave.com</code>. As I've stated before, the previous request doesn't seem to be a requirement for this request.</p> <p>Right after the request to <code>variations.brave.com</code> is made, Brave fetches the list of affiliates through <code>laptop-updates.brave.com</code>. As stated before, the previous request doesn't seem to be a requirement for this request.</p>
<img class="screenshot" src="../images/brave/custom-headers.png" alt="custom headers"/> <img class="screenshot" src="../images/brave/custom-headers.png" alt="custom headers"/>
<p>Brave makes a request to <code>static1.brave.com</code> every once and a while, which looks like it's used to fetch plugin information<sup><a href="#four">[4]</a></sup>? When I entered the url into the browser to explore, I was directed to Google's error 404 page<sup><a href="#nine">[9]</a></sup>. This seems kind of unsettling to me that one of Brave's domains would do this:</p> <p>Brave makes a request to <code>static1.brave.com</code> every once and a while, which looks like it's used to fetch plugin information<sup><a href="#four">[4]</a></sup>? When the url was placed into the browser, it was directed to Google's error 404 page<sup><a href="#nine">[9]</a></sup>. This seems kind of unsettling that one of Brave's domains would do that:</p>
<img class="screenshot" src="../images/brave/brave-static.png" alt="static brave"/> <img class="screenshot" src="../images/brave/brave-static.png" alt="static brave"/>
<img class="screenshot" src="../images/brave/google-brave.png" alt="google error 404"/> <img class="screenshot" src="../images/brave/google-brave.png" alt="google error 404"/>
<p>I decided to do <code>curl --head static1.brave.com</code>, and I wasn't pleased with the results. It appears Brave uses Google's gstatic:</p> <p>A quick <code>curl --head static1.brave.com</code> showed that Brave used Google's gstatic:</p>
<img class="screenshot" src="../images/brave/brave-gstatic.png" alt="google error 404"/> <img class="screenshot" src="../images/brave/brave-gstatic.png" alt="google error 404"/>
<p>On the first run, Brave fetches five extensions from <code>brave-core-ext.s3.brave.com</code> and tries to install them:</p> <p>On the first run, Brave fetches five extensions from <code>brave-core-ext.s3.brave.com</code> and tries to install them:</p>
<img class="screenshot" src="../images/brave/brave-extensions.png" alt="brave extensions"/> <img class="screenshot" src="../images/brave/brave-extensions.png" alt="brave extensions"/>