Privacy-focused search engine Brave has announced that it will now exclusively utilize its own index, eliminating dependence on third-party solutions such as Bing.
TechCrunch reports that Brave, the web browser company renowned for its commitment to user privacy, has announced that it will begin exclusively using its own web index for its search engine going forward, marking an important step in the company’s progress towards independence. In a recent blog post, the company stated that Brave Search users will now receive “100 percent of results from the Brave Index, giving users fully independent results. As always, our results will preserve user privacy.”
The company acknowledged that nearly 13 percent of its queries were handled by other providers when Brave Search was first introduced in 2021. However, that number dropped to seven percent in just a year. Initiatives like the Web Discovery Project, which allowed Brave web browser users to contribute anonymous data to aid in the creation of the Brave index, significantly aided the company’s push toward independence.
Brave’s decision to give up on third-party solutions was also influenced by worries about the future of the Bing API, particularly after Microsoft strengthened its partnership with OpenAI and announced a significant increase in API pricing for Bing’s search index.
Brave wants to distinguish itself in the market by separating itself from big tech giants. This strategy contrasts with that of rivals like DuckDuckGo and Neeva, which still rely on Bing for their search results. But Neeva has made it known that it intends to stop using Bing in the near future.
Read more at TechCrunch here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan