Among a minefield of ads and trackers, browsers have added a number of security and privacy features in recent years. Brave is the latest, announcing today that it is partnering with Guardian to launch a new version of its iOS browser, Brave Firewall + VPN.
The name more or less sums it up. Brave Software and Guardian are basically Wonder Twinning for a mobile privacy browser for iPhones and iPads with their own built-in VPN. Companies say you should get a more secure and private browsing experience that is also three to six times faster, as it “combines privacy with a blockchain-based digital advertising platform.” Brave says in its press release that the VPN and firewall will work not only for the Brave app, but also for any other app on a user’s phone or iPad.
The way it works is that the Brave Firewall + VPN app sends a user’s mobile traffic through an encrypted VPN to Guardian servers. There, applications that secretly track data will be identified and that activity will be blocked. You will still be able to use those apps as well as visit the sites you want as intended. The companies also state that this method will not require or retain any user information. Instead, they say the app will use a “pseudonymous digital receipt” through the app store to provide users with VPN access while using “rotating and random EAP identifiers to connect to VPN servers.” Of course! Supposedly, the end result is intended to allow users to connect to VPN servers without Brave or Guardian learning anything about their identity.
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I was able to test an early access version of Brave Firewall + VPN on my iPhone and I can confirm that it is very Zippy compared to Safari and Chrome. I never thought any of those browsers were particularly slow on my phone, but the speed difference was noticeable. I visited some of my favorite sites and then was immediately horrified when she told me that in about 3 minutes of browsing she had blocked 107 ads and trackers and gave me 2 HTTPS updates. This supposedly saved me five seconds of my life.
I will say that I appreciated the possibility of going to a site that I love that decided to go all in a mobile trash experience and really read the damn site. It was also “fun” to take a look at which one sites i visited that were the most egraffectionate when it comes to ads and trackers. It was educational, to say the least.
In an ideal world, Brave Firewall + VPN would be free and we would all delight in the ability to browse quickly, securely, and privately. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world. Unfortunately, it is a premium feature and you must subscribe for $ 10 a month or $ 100 a year. (You get a free 7-day trial though.) The good news is that a subscription will allow you to use the firewall on up to five devices. Another annoyance is that Brave Firewall + VPN is, at least for now, just iOS. That said, Brave said availability on other platforms would come “later this year.”
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