Brave Browser to Launch Independent Search Engine

Brave, a browser prioritizing user privacy and co-founded by former Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich, is preparing to introduce its own search engine for both desktop and mobile platforms.

Acquisition of Tailcat Technology

The company announced today the acquisition of an open-source search engine originally developed by the team behind Cliqz, a privacy-focused search-browser combination that is no longer active. This technology will serve as the foundation for the upcoming Brave Search engine.

Brave intends to offer its user base, which numbers in the millions, a search and browsing experience entirely independent of ‘big tech’ companies.

Independent Index and Privacy Focus

“Almost all search engines today are either created by, or depend on, results from major technology corporations,” Brave explains in a press release. “However, the Tailcat search engine is built upon a completely independent index.

This allows it to deliver the quality users expect while simultaneously safeguarding their privacy.” Tailcat does not collect IP addresses or utilize personally identifiable information to refine search results.

Cliqz Background and Team Transition

Cliqz, a European project stemming from Mozilla’s Firefox browser and focused on privacy, was discontinued last May.

Its majority investor, Hubert Burda Media, cited challenging market conditions during the pandemic as the reason for ending the project earlier than anticipated.

The former Cliqz development team, who had been working on Tailcat, will now join Brave as part of the acquisition.

Dr. Josep M Pujol, leading the engineering team, expressed excitement about contributing to “the only genuine private search/browser alternative to Big Tech.”

Brave Search: Privacy and Transparency

According to Brendan Eich, Tailcat is a fully independent search engine with its own index built from the ground up. Brave Search will extend the same privacy protections found in the Brave browser.

“Brave will deliver the first private browser and search combination, offering seamless browsing and searching with guaranteed privacy,” Eich stated. “Furthermore, its transparent nature will address algorithmic biases and prevent censorship.”

Growth and Demand for Privacy

Eich attributes Brave’s entry into the search market to growing consumer demand for privacy.

The browser has experienced “unprecedented” growth, increasing from 11 million to over 26 million monthly active users, mirroring the surge in popularity of encrypted messaging app Signal earlier this year.

“We anticipate even greater demand for Brave in 2021 as more users seek genuine privacy solutions to escape the invasive practices of Big Tech,” Eich added. “Our mission is to prioritize the user, and integrating privacy-preserving search is crucial to preventing the exploitation of user privacy for economic gain.”

User Choice and Default Settings

Brave Search will initially be offered alongside established search providers like Google, Bing, Qwant, and Ecosia, allowing users to select their preferred default.

Eich indicated that Brave Search may eventually become the default option, but user choice will remain a core principle.

“We will continue to support ‘open search’ with multiple alternative engines,” he confirmed. “Brave will always offer users a variety of choices for their default search engine, and we believe many will choose Brave Search for its unmatched privacy.”

Performance and Competition

When asked about the quality of Tailcat-powered results compared to Google, Eich described them as “quite good” and predicted further improvement with increased adoption.

“While matching Google’s ‘long tail’ will be challenging, we have a plan to compete in that area once integrated into the Brave browser,” he explained. “Google’s size presents competitive opportunities for a search rival.”

He further noted Google’s potential limitations in innovation due to its reliance on search revenue and pressure from shareholders.

Algorithmic Transparency and Censorship

“We believe we can excel in areas such as censorship, community feedback, and algorithmic transparency,” Eich asserted. “Unlike other search engines, we believe that significant improvements require a fresh start, leveraging the expertise gained from building from scratch.”

He dismissed the option of relying on Bing, stating that it would only offer the same level of quality and dependence.

Availability and Future Development

Brave aims to make Brave Search generally available by summer, or potentially late spring.

Interested users can sign up for a waitlist to test an early version, which is expected to be released in the coming weeks.

The name Tailcat may not be widely recognized, as it was an internal project not yet implemented in Cliqz’s browser.

Burda Media’s Involvement

Development on Tailcat continued at Burda after Cliqz’s closure, with the goal of creating a fully functional search engine.

Eich explained that the team sought a long-term home for their work and are enthusiastic about joining Brave.

The financial details of the acquisition have not been disclosed, but Burda will become a Brave shareholder as part of the agreement.

Paul-Bernhard Kallen, CEO of Hubert Burda Media, expressed support for the project, stating, “We are pleased that our technology is being utilized by Brave to create a genuine, privacy-friendly alternative to Google.”

Brave’s Evolution into a “Super App”

Brave has expanded beyond its initial focus on an alternative browser with a cryptocurrency rewards system.

It now positions itself as a pro-privacy “super app,” bundling features like a privacy-preserving ad platform (Brave Ads), a news reader (Brave Today), a Firewall+VPN service, and the forthcoming search engine (Brave Search), along with a privacy-focused video conferencing service (Brave Together).

The core brand promise of this ‘super app’ is to provide users with genuine control over their online experience.

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