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Brave Privacy Browser 'Mistake' Added Affiliate Links to Crypto URLs

posted by martyb on Tuesday June 09 2020, @12:50AM   Printer-friendly
from the how-did-THAT-get-in-there? dept.

upstart writes in with an IRC submission:

Brave privacy browser 'mistake' added affiliate links to crypto URLs:

Brave, the open-source Chromium-based browser that promises elevated privacy, has been called out by users for potentially putting revenue over user trust. The company has been redirecting certain crypto company URLs typed in search bars to affiliate links and presumably taking a commission, Decrypt has reported. For instance, he typed in "binance.us" and the company replaced the term with "binance.us/en?ref=35089877," according to Twitter user Cryptonator.

[...] Some Brave users on Twitter (many from the crypto community) weren't mollified, but Eich offered a mea culpa. "Sorry for this mistake — we are clearly not perfect, but we correct course quickly. We will never revise typed in domains again, I promise."

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 4, Touché) by lentilla on Tuesday June 09 2020, @04:07AM (2 children)

    by lentilla (1770) on Tuesday June 09 2020, @04:07AM (#1005079)

    Would someone be able to clarify? Was this:

    1. "mistake", as in: "sorry, I ate all the cookies on the plate, I thought there were plenty more in the jar" (a.k.a a "genuine mistake"); or;
    2. "mistake", as in: "I finished the cookies, I had hoped you wouldn't notice and I am sorry [for myself] that you are upset. (a.k.a got caught with hand in cookie jar. Also known as the "what cookies? Oh, those cookies!" defense.)
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +2  
       Touché=2, Total=2
    Extra 'Touché' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  
    Total Score:   4  

  • (Score: 4, Informative) by coolgopher on Tuesday June 09 2020, @04:40AM (1 child)

    by coolgopher (1157) on Tuesday June 09 2020, @04:40AM (#1005091)

    I'd be most surprised if it was (1). This isn't their first controversy [wikipedia.org].

    • (Score: 3, Touché) by tangomargarine on Tuesday June 09 2020, @04:51PM

      by tangomargarine (667) on Tuesday June 09 2020, @04:51PM (#1005249)

      In December of 2018 British YouTube content creator Tom Scott stated that he does not receive any donations in collected on his behalf by Brave browser. In a tweet, he stated "So if you thought you'd donated to me through Brave, the money (or their pseudo-money [BAT]) will not reach me, and Brave's terms say that they may choose to just keep it themselves. It looks like they're 'providing this service' for every creator on every platform. No opt-in, no consent."[38][39] In response, Brave amended the interface with a disclaimer for each creator who hasn't signed up with Brave and promised to consider adding "an opt-out option for creators who do not wish to receive donations" and "switching the default so users cannot tip or donate to unverified creators".[40] Critics stated that the system should be opt-in and not opt-out, that the disclaimer does not clearly state absence of any relation with the creators and suggests that creator begun process of signing up with Brave.[41] As of 2020, Brave hasn't implemented the changes they were considering.

      Ha. Nice.

      --
      "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"