I’m using Brave Search with Chrome browser. Am I still anonymous when I use “find elsewhere”?
No. If you’re using Chrome then Google is tracking you no matter where you go. They are even watching as you’re places like Brave Search and would see the URLs traveled and all, which would let them know what you’re searching. The only anonymity you would have is that Brave itself doesn’t gather personal information about you.
For example, I just opened up Chrome and went to Brave Search. I typed in some random things. Then I went to my Google account and checked My Activity (this isn’t browser history, but is Google account activity…), to which I saw the below:
If you use the Find Elsewhere option, it just sends you to that website you chose and will do the same search there. That website will then see your IP address being used and will know what you have searched. As to what they are collecting about you and what you do after is dependent on the site used and your web browser.
Your better option if you want to limit tracking and get closer to anonymity would be not to use Chrome or whatever you’re calling the Google browser. I would suggest you use Brave Browser as it offers higher privacy.
That said, I want to be clear that it won’t offer you full anonymity or anything, as no browser can. But Brave will reduce the ability for anyone to track you across websites. Then using a VPN will also help in preventing places from identifying you or your activity just based on something as basic as your IP address.
Sorry, I know mentioned a lot. Not sure if I’m clear in answering, but at least wanted to provide some details. If you have any questions or could use some clarification, please ask.
Thank you! And I meant to say Chrome browser.
I was using Duck Duck Go browser and default search and not really happy with it. Then I decided to go back to Chrome and give Brave search a try. I’ve been having to use “find elsewhere” for better results. Would you recommend the Brave browser? I’m so familiar with Chrome I’m not eager to have to re-learn a new browser.
Overall, yes. But that’s my personal preference. If you’re not familiar, Brave is based on Chromium. This is the same engine used by Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and other browsers. What makes Brave different is they remove a lot of the telemetry from the code that would otherwise track you and gather your data.
Then they do things like add Shields into the base code, which helps restrict tracking cookies and block ads. We also end up with some extras that you may not want or need, but there to use if you want.
All of that to say, Brave is very similar to Chrome in looks and feel. So I don’t think there would be too much to “re-learn.” Though as I say that, I guess new features like Wallet, Shields (the ad blocker), Rewards, Leo (the AI), and eventually Playlist (to save and watch content, even for offline viewing) would be some new things to adapt to.
Have you tried to enable Google fallback mixing?
You can turn that on in Brave Search’s settings. https://search.brave.com/settings But again, that won’t stop Google from seeing everything if you’re using their browser.
Using Brave as a browser wouldn’t make the Brave Search results get any better than you’re getting when using the website on any other browser, but it would help a bit with privacy is all.
Just keep in mind that when you use Google’s search engine, it wouldn’t stop them (Google) from knowing your searches or from identifying you based on your IP (unless you’re using VPN). And if you’d be signed into Google and do a search on Google, it would still show in your Google account activity. All of that is going to be true no matter what browser you use.
But using Brave would limit tracking cookies, ads, and some other things that would help with your privacy better. Pair this with Brave Search and you should have great privacy/anonymity, though as I’ve stated you might need to go a bit further and have VPN or so if you want to push it further. It’s not perfect, but it works better than a lot of alternatives available.
Until last year I would have recommended Brave browser - now they installed AI and settings where you send all your preactivated data to them when you open a private site or a site with TOR even when you disable all of them in the main settings. And the AI during search is always active even when you “deactivate” it … its collecting your search behavior and the hell knows what else and is feasting on it …I downloaded now one of my long term first love – Palemoon and set Presearch before - just testing it …if you want to check where you are vulnerable use browserleaks dot com … you will be astonished what you deliver even when you think that you are safe
@ajaccio any particular reason you’re here giving a lot of misinformation? For example, you speak as if Brave’s browser is gathering data on you for the AI. This isn’t true at all.
This also isn’t true. Brave Search never collects personal information about you, your device, or your searches. You may want to read up on things like through https://search.brave.com/help/privacy-policy
And in terms of Leo that’s in the browser, you may also want to read through the articles below:
If they would not collect our data then these functions would not exist and have to be pre-activated !
Yes they write that these data are “anonymous” – ha ! as if it would be possible to separate browserdata before they come in … this would be more work-intensive than the entire browser
And if the AI-moster would not feast on userbehavior then it simply would not be there if a user does not want it … but an AI monster cannot exist without learning from users and this means collecting user-behavior - oh yes anonymous again - so why is it there and active and one cannot get rid od it ? Simple - because only a handful of users would activate it and this way it could not exist …
What should a user think about YOU - someone with a “google-account” – this tells more about you than anything of the endless sermons you answer here …and in this most disgusting way writing into another users original text – one does not have to read anything of you to know what to think of it when knowing this …
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