Brave iOS browser gains ‘Privacy Hub’ and improved protection against ‘fingerprinting’

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Brave's browser for iOS adds a Privacy Hub and more.
Brave's browser for iOS adds a Privacy Hub and more.
Photo: Brave

Privacy-oriented browser Brave updated its iOS app Wednesday with a new Privacy Hub that summarizes trackers it blocked for a specific website or over a certain period of time, not unlike what Safari’s Privacy Report does.

Brave iOS browser adds Privacy Hub summaries of blocked trackers a la Safari Privacy Report

Brave’s been known for privacy since its launch. The new Privacy Hub in version 1.38 of the browser means to educate users about trackers and other privacy threats the browser seeks to block, the company said.

The update also bolsters protections against fingerprinting for iOS, the company said. The fingerprinting technique identifies and tracks people online by combining multiple semi-identifiers, or slight differences between people’s browsers. They can include characteristics like the size of the browser window or computer hardware details. Combined into a single, unique identifier, they can track people.

The new protections against against fingerprinting include adding small amounts of randomization to fingerprint-able APIs rather than disabling them. Disabling them can break websites. Inserting small differences can make for a smoother, more private browser experience.

Brave has also added a certificate viewer to its iOS app. That allows users to confirm that the site they’re visiting is genuine and not a spoofed copy.

To view a page’s certificate, users can tap the lock icon in the URL bar. There they can verify if a certificate is valid and trusted, or see if it’s revoked, not trusted or noncompliant with standards.

Brave’s focus on privacy has gained it popularity in recent years. In 2021, Brave dropped Google as its default search engine and replaced it with the more privacy-oriented Brave Search. The search uses an independent index and doesn’t track users or their searches.

Price: Free with in-app purchases

Where to download: App Store

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