@brucejames The simple answer is Brave and VPN can’t turn you into a ghost or 100% spoof your location. In terms of the web browser sending info, they protect as best as they can. The issue is a lot of times you have things like Java that communicates and can share your information.
They’ll also have basic access to things on your computer like which language you speak and which time zone you’re in, which is communicated through your Operating System. They are able to use all of these things to kind of figure out where you’re at. In addition, if you’re using things like Facebook or signed into a Google account, it will be able to link to a few things and kind of put 2+2 together.
Here’s a few things to read later if you want to check it out.
To borrow from a LONG winded website, which is https://www.techradar.com/news/why-isnt-a-vpn-hiding-my-real-location
Websites and apps have several options available to try and find your location, but one of the simplest is the HTML Geolocation API. It’s easy to use, often surprisingly accurate, and probably won’t be affected by your VPN.
Test this by connecting to your VPN, then running the geolocation test on the BrowserLeaks site.
Normally your browser should ask if the site can access your location. Give it permission and a map will appear, most likely with your real location, and not the VPN server.
The main problem here is that if you give an app or website permission to access your location, that may be remembered next time, and the website will always be able to see where you are.
Another option is to manage location permissions at device level, allowing you to control more apps at once.
In Android, click Settings > Locations to view recent location requests or turn off location access for everything.
In Windows 10, press Win+A and click All Settings > Privacy > Location.
You’re able to see and control which apps have permission to access your precise location. A Clear button wipes Windows’ recent location history, and you can optionally turn off the location service for all Windows apps at once. Keep in mind that this only works for system apps, like Cortana and Edge – it won’t affect Chrome, Firefox or other third-party software.
IP leaks
A website could try to identify your real location by checking for IP address leaks, or other indicators that you’re not where you say you are.
Visit Doileak.com and click Start Tests to see how this might work.
Check the WebRTC Leak and HTTP Request Leaks sections, in particular. If either of these contain your real external IP (not a local 192.168.x.x address), that could provide any website with a way to detect your real location.
The report might also list signs that suggest you’re using a proxy or VPN. These could include an unusual connection type, multiple browser types or differences between your browser and IP address time zones.