Name: Brave takes on Google with privacy-focused search engine
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Brave takes on Google with privacy-focused search engine

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FollowThe browser maker also intends to pay people for using its new search engine.Stephen ShanklandPrincipal writierStephen Shankland has been a reporter at CNET since 1998 and writes about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.3 min readhas acquired a search engine project that prioritizes user , a distinction it hopes will set it apart from , the undisputed leader in internet search.&nbsp;On Wednesday, Brave said it had purchased , which was developed by Cliqz, a privacy-minded subsidiary of Germany's . Tailcat, which Burda , was designed to show results without logging user search activity or building a profile. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but Burda now is a Brave shareholder.Brave plans eventually to show search ads through , as the Tailcat technology is now called. Brave opened up a waiting list Wednesday so beta testers can try it out in coming weeks, with general availability scheduled for late spring or summer.The startup hopes to pay users for seeing the ads, like it does with its flagship browser. Brave's existing browser-based ad system pays 70% of ad revenue to Brave users who opt into the system, called Brave Rewards."If we get to that promised land of our own automated search ad system, then we will give the user at least what we make," Chief Executive Brendan Eich said.Brave is unlikely to dethrone Google search anytime soon. But Tailcat could show there is room for financial success with a business that puts privacy first. The Brave browser has grown steadily since its initial release in 2016. Eich forecast Brave will have as many as 50 million monthly users at the end of the year, double the 25 million users it has now. It doesn't release financial information, but its revenue has grown by a factor of 28 over the last 16 months and it now employs 115 people.Of course, going up against Google is an enormous undertaking. The search giant accounts for of search queries, according to analytics firm StatCounter. Microsoft's is a distant second with less than 3%. Other companies like Yahoo, DuckDuckGo and StartPage repackage Bing and Google search results.&nbsp;Two decades ago, Google rose to a commanding lead because its algorithms, including the seminal PageRank technology created by , offer fast, relevant results. Its system, which shows advertisements alongside search results, remains a money-minting machine.Brave Search starts at a disadvantage because it has a smaller index of the web than Google's. Brave will try to overcome that obstacle by supplementing algorithms that assess relevance with anonymous data from Brave users themselves.Brave can do that by analyzing data the browser gathers on users' searches and the links they click, information that can be shared anonymously. Cliqz hired external security researchers to test the system, Eich said, and is confident search data can't be traced back to any individual.The company's new search service will still rely on Google's expertise to a degree. In Eich's view, wholesale copying of Google's full search results for a given search query is inappropriate. But he said, as long as it's done anonymously and with users' permission. , Eich said.Many companies use privacy as part of their sales pitch, and Google is a frequent target. However, with changes to people's privacy priorities and regulatory pressure, Google is changing its ways. On Wednesday, it said that starting next year, it'll . The , director of product management for ads privacy and trust at Google. Previously he was Brave's chief product officer.Get the CNET Tech Report newsletterStay on top of the latest tech news on Amazon, Windows, Google and more.

FollowThe browser maker also intends to pay people for using its new search engine.Stephen ShanklandPrincipal writierStephen Shankland has been a reporter at CNET since 1998 and writes about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.3 min readhas acquired a search engine project that prioritizes user , a distinction it hopes...

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Stephen Shankland

CNET, formerly Computer Network, is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. Founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition in 2008.

Brave takes on Google with privacy-focused search engine

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