The browser Braveknown for offering a privacy-focused approach, is at the center of a controversy surrounding the VPN which integrates. Apparently, Brave automatically installs the Virtual Private Network on Windows devices.
The reporting of Ghacks.netunderlines how this incorrect practice was already identified in 2022 and is still a reality for browser users and also interests Brave Firewall. The two additional components, among other things, they are not entirely free: after an initial trial service, these are paid (we are talking about $9.99 per month).
The company behind the browser, for its part, responded by claiming that such additional tools do not begin to work unless manually activated and subsequently paying for a subscription. However, taking into account that Brave is theoretically a browser appreciated for matters of privacy and securityall this made several users turn up their noses.
Brave and the VPN case: how to understand if the service has been activated
Brave’s Vice President of Engineering, Brian Cliftonacknowledged the problem on GitHub following Ghacks’ report and users complaining about unwanted tools on some online forums. Clifton himself thus commented on a discussion on this issue, adding fuel to the fire “Of all the privacy tools I use, I think Brave is the one most likely to go down a path that I won’t be comfortable with. This is an example of it“.
Clifton assures that this is limited to Brave’s Windows VPN only, while promising to work to resolve the issue adding as “The ideal situation would be to move these services so that they are installed when the VPN is first USED (after purchase) and not at the time of installation“.
Users, meanwhile, can check whether these elements are installed on their PC without their consent. In this sense it is good to follow this procedure:
- Press the keys Windows e R;
- In the window Research to type services.msc and press enter;
- In the list of installed software, look for a reference to Brave and a related VPN;
- If necessary, uninstall the latter.
