Privacy-focused web browser Brave is readying to launch a search engine that will compete with Big Tech while also being free of its influence.
“Under the hood, nearly all of today’s search engines are either built by, or rely on, results from Big Tech companies. In contrast, the Tailcat search engine is built on top of a completely independent index, capable of delivering the quality people expect but without compromising their privacy,” Brave said in a press release. “Tailcat does not collect IP addresses or use personally identifiable information to improve search results.”
Google has been under fire in recent years over accusations that it manipulates search results and faces an antitrust lawsuit over allegations of engaging in anti-competitive behavior.
Brave, which was founded by ex-Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich, announced it had acquired an open-source search engine originally developed by the now-defunct Cliqz anti-tracking browser and search platform.
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The technology used by Cliqz will serve as the foundation for Brave’s new search engine, which promises to offer users a Big Tech-free experience.
“Tailcat is a fully independent search engine with its own search index built from scratch,” Eich said. “Tailcat as Brave Search will offer the same privacy guarantees that Brave has in its browser.”
Eich also promised that the platform would be free of censorship.
“Brave will provide the first private browser+search alternative to the Big Tech platforms and will make it seamless for users to browse and search with guaranteed privacy,” Eich said. “Also, owing to its transparent nature, Brave Search will address algorithmic biases and prevent outright censorship.”
Eich said he expects demand for an alternative to Google to grow in 2021, as the search giant and other major tech companies face continued scrutiny for what many consider invasive privacy practices.
“We expect to see even greater demand for Brave in 2021 as more and more users demand real privacy solutions to escape Big Tech’s invasive practices,” Eich said. “Brave’s mission is to put the user first, and integrating privacy-preserving search into our platform is a necessary step to ensure that user privacy is not plundered to fuel the surveillance economy.”
The news comes as demand for alternatives to big tech companies that have monopolized social media and web browsing for years grows. In the wake of former President Donald Trump’s ban from both Facebook and Twitter following the Jan 6. Capitol riot, the popularity of competitors such as Parler and Gab saw almost instant surges.
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But big tech companies have also fought back against the challenges to their monopoly, with Google and Apple moving to ban Parler from their app stores while Amazon removed the company from its web hosting services.
Amazon’s banning of Parler led to the social media platform going offline for several weeks, but the company has since found a host willing to keep the service online.
