Question Confused about Brave browser usage experience

[MaxT2]

I have been using Brave Browser for a few year. I do like the privacy focus of it...
(Though I don't like their crypto rewards and crypto wallet part has it seems they do everything so that it's hard to use or recover at some point.)

But I'm encountering more and more issues with web sites that simply won't work with it. It seems like actually most sites work well in it, but sites with "big" services tend to be impossible to use it... (what I mean by big services... not really public sites... but services your can't really do without), such as:

- The site of a big bank in my country (impossible to log in)
- Site of the biggest (historical) phone and Internet provider in the country (had various issues that required workaround)
- Some jobboard site (impossible to log in).
- TomTom's (GPS manufacturer) site (crash and impossible to load) (OK, now, this one is now working in Brave Browser)

And by the way, when contact their customer services, providing JavaScript error logs, the only things they are able to reply most of the times are things like "you have to click on login" or "you need to use Edge/Chrome" ... or yet "you have to use the app" (like they don't care about their website anymore) (The customer service from from the big Internet provider even claims that I HAD to accept all commercial cookies in order to be able to download invoices. Which turned out not to be true actually ...)

So is it that all these companies are so data-hungry (or rely on data angry services) that they all do mischievous stuff behind your browser? Or is Brave Browser getting too restrictive?

 

[Viking2121]

Yeah I had a similar experience when I was trying to daily drive it, and whats weird is at the time I had an Auto part store not work at all on the mobile version of Brave, but it worked on the desktop version, I had similar situation with my bank and my work site to get my schedule, it just never worked or it had weird rendering issues.

So Idk if its brave its self of it blocking all the stuff.

 

[Aeacus]

The thing with websites is, that the website admin can define whom can connect to their website and who can not. There are several methods to this, but one of them is the browser you're using. If you're using a browser that is blacklisted (denied) by the site admin, you can not access that site.

Here, i think the issue is this. Since Brave browser has so low market share, it is easy to block it, whereby "influencing" people to use more widespread browser(s).

As of why certain browser is blocked, there can be several reasons. Browser itself is unsecure (or can even mess with the website itself), royalty payments to prefer a browser (Google has done so several times, by paying money for other companies to prefer Chrome), no trackers can be enabled etc.

Oh, i'm using Firefox myself, with several add-ons to make my browsing secure.

 

[MaxT2]

The thing with websites is, that the website admin can define whom can connect to their website and who can (...)

Yes, I though about this, but in those cases it's not a "clean can't connect" with user dialog situation, it's usually JavaScript errors (on purpose? I don't know).
My feeling is that is must have to do with tracking services and they haven't considerer a case what the user doesn't want to be tracked.

But still I'm wondering if Brave is being too protective or if those sites do it "wrong" (in general). (I suppose, the second is truer though...)

 

[Aeacus]

But still I'm wondering if Brave is being too protective

What good is a browser when it defines which sites you can or can not visit? IMO, this is far worse than any other browser, that doesn't restrict which sites you can visit. Especially since the sites you're visiting are safe and part of normal life.

My suggestion would be to ditch the Brave all-together and going with either:
* Tor (have that, great for anonymous surfing)
* Firefox with security add-ons (what i have, are: Decentraleyes, uBlock Origin, HTTPS Everywhere, NoScript, Malwarebytes Browser Guard)

NoScript is super-user level of an add-on and it takes a lot of time to learn how to use it. But on default, it will block all and any scrips running on any website you visit. Thus essentially breaking the website as well. This gives best protection. But to use it properly, you have to fine-tune it manually, enabling those scripts that are safe and make the webpage functional, while keeping out the unneeded stuff.
I don't suggest NoScript for most people, due to the reason how complex it is to learn and that, on default, it will break websites. But once mastered, it is the single best add-on to use, regarding security and protection.

Malwarebytes Browser Guard is part of Malwarebytes Premium package. It actively monitors what you visit and blocks malicious scripts or even whole websites, so that you PC won't be affected by malware. <- This costs money. Oh, Malwarebytes also offers VPN within their Premium package, which i've opted out.

All-in-all, at today's date, one must be cybersecurity expert if one wants to be safe without malware in their system.

 

[MaxT2]

What good is a browser when it defines which sites you can or can not visit?

This in a sense part of my question, but rather turn against Brave as it assumes Brave prevents you from visiting website. But it doesn't.
To my understanding what it blocks is all kind of trackers. In a sense, it is supposed to be a browser with various privacy plug-ins features included. And if the websites are so reliant "rogue" trackers that they break, that's rather websites' fault.

Regarding Tor, to my understanding Tor offers a different layer of privacy which does not replace things like ad blocks, track blockers and such... (but I haven't really tried it much, I may give it another try just out of curiosity)

Also, in my question I don't think so much about malware, I have some anti-virus/security suite that handle that too, what I have in mind is mostly to limit unrequested tracking.

Another option I used to limit the tracking of some given sites is to only open them in some virtual machine that I can sometimes reset (just by restoring the file from a given day from a backup).

 

[Aeacus]

Nowadays, it's option for everyone if to use/visit website or not. Website admin can customize and limit visitation as they see fit, since it's their site after all. If using certain browser, e.g Brave, breaks the site, then the issue is with site and Brave compatibility.

All-in-all, you could post your issue in Brave dedicated forums and ask Brave devs how to resolve your issue.

 

[MaxT2]

All-in-all, you could post your issue in Brave dedicated forums and ask Brave devs how to resolve your issue.

So I posted my question to Brave community forum, but so far my question has been "pending" waiting for approval for days. (I suppose they expect more precise technical question.)

My account has earned the "Basic" badge, which "Grants all essential community functions."
But I am unable to reply to any post (I don't see any "reply" function).
And I wanted to asked them another question which ad to do with the "Brave Rewards"/Brave wallet, but I don't find the button to post a new question anymore. Fantastic, helpful system...

 

[Aeacus]

My account has earned the "Basic" badge, which "Grants all essential community functions."
But I am unable to reply to any post (I don't see any "reply" function).
And I wanted to asked them another question which ad to do with the "Brave Rewards"/Brave wallet, but I don't find the button to post a new question anymore. Fantastic, helpful system...

We do not provide support for Brave forums. Completely different entity.

Brave also has Reddit thread. Might want to try there: https://www.reddit.com/r/brave_browser/

Recap the whole topic: severe issues with Brave browser, 0 support from the devs (or Brave community).
Why still keep using it? 🤔

 

[MaxT2]

@Aeacus : I don't expect "support" here, but possibly other user experiences may be useful.

Thank you for mentioning the Reddit, it may be a better option.

"Why still keep using it?": I'm starting to ask myself the question, but haven't "replied" yet. In the first place, I use it because I do like the "one-stop-shop" tracking blocker concept.

 

[MaxT2]

Can't login to Reddit anymore... it's like I'm creating a new account. Then I get "session expired". Then when I come back "the username" I just entered is in us. And between each login attempt is a increasing timer (first iteration start at 7 minute...)

 

[Aeacus]

Can't login to Reddit anymore... it's like I'm creating a new account.

Did you try with different browser? Other than your beloved Brave? 🤔

 

[MaxT2]

Yes, I tried Firefox... But the timer (and session expirations?) are linked to computer/ip, not browser ... I ended sending a message to Reddit's support.
(I still "see" the account profile, and nothing suspicious on it ... but when I log in, one impression I have is that maybe it isn't linked to my e-mail address anymore, it's like I'm required to create a new account for that address. Nothing really worrying, I've never been much active on Reddit, I just have a few thread and replies...)

 

[Aeacus]

Yes, I tried Firefox... But the timer (and session expirations?) are linked to computer/ip, not browser ... I ended sending a message to Reddit's support.

Strange.

I do have Reddit account as well and it keeps me logged in for days, without issues. Then again, i haven't "used" my account other than viewing stuff that can't be viewed without log-in. No posts/replies or anything. So, i don't know why Reddit acts up on you.