Tech News: Brave Browser No Longer Forces Their VPN to Install on Your Computer
Back in October, Brave started installing its VPN program for all Windows users, despite the fact that you didn't ask for it, and couldn’t use it unless you paid for it.
According to Sayan Sen writing for Neowin.net, and I quote:
“With this update, the Brave team has also added a way to disable Leo, the Brave AI assistant via admin policy. The company launched it in November last year.”
As Martin Brinkmann over at tech news site GHacks.net points out, most Brave browser users do not use Brave Software's VPN service, but they still got the VPN service installed on their machines without consent or any intention of using the VPN.
That is clearly NOT okay.
Brave’s response at the time was not good. They basically said that although the VPN program and related services were forced upon users, and I quote:
“they [VPN services] would not start unless started by the user. Furthermore, the VPN services would not submit any data to Brave Software.”
Not sure if they were just trying to save face, but no one takes kindly to something being installed they have no intention of using, simply because Brave wanted to increase the number of computers their VPN program is installed on.
According to Sayan Sen writing for Neowin.net, and I quote, “With this update, the Brave team has also added a way to disable Leo, the Brave AI assistant via admin policy. The company launched it in November last year.”
My Take
I used Brave as my main browser, but I got rid of it when they did this! I now use Zen Browser, based on Firefox.
They have NO right to install ANYTHING on MY computer without MY consent, or yours on your computer. Neither does any other company, and I’m sure you would agree. This is especially true for something I can’t even use without paying for it.
Brave better not continue to lose focus on its role as a web browser company and stop getting distracted by side projects, particularly when those projects are implemented dishonestly. It needs to make money—we all get that—so present people with what it’s selling in a gentle and honest way and give us a choice. Period.
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