The irony of Brave's Tor
"Why is Brave Browser very silly for Tor?"
Fingerprint
JavaScript is used by many websites to deliver content and perform services. Many sites use it as part of their core functionality. JavaScript also can be used to browser fingerprint and therefore serve content that’s appropriate for the end user’s browser and operating system versions, such as ensuring the content has the correct screen dimensions. While the purpose of JavaScript’s fingerprinting is to properly serve content to benefit the user, it can be used maliciously against the user to identity him or her through Tor.
Ironic
JavaScript was created by Brendan Eich in 1995. Ironically, Brendan went on in 2015 to become the founder and CEO of Brave Browser, which is promoted as a privacy browser by hiding and confusing your JavaScript fingerprints. In other words, the founder of JavaScript 20 years later became the founder of one of the most popular JavaScript evasion tools!
Avoid Brave
Brave Browser has Tor functionality and is popular for obscuring fingerprints for everyday casual use, but it isn’t as effective as Tor Browser, which has a fixed smaller screen resolution and better browser isolation. Browser isolation is the ability to prevent different tabs open at the same time and any downloaded files from accessing your main PC.
Bloat
While JavaScript’s incredibly popular, website developers do not technically have to use it for websites to have interactive experiences or to be properly sized.
Most large corporate developers are interested in collecting data on users because that data has value in marketing goods and services to those users. Because surveillance data has value to both website owners and third parties, large software developers create tools that utilize the data, and then smaller website creators often are reliant on these pre-existing tools.
NoScript
JavaScript can be used to identify a user through Tor in a number of different ways. This is why Tor Browser comes pre-bundled with the “NoScript” plugin. This plugin can either reduce or disable JavaScript’s ability. When the plugin is set on the “Safest” setting, JavaScript is completely disabled. This level of security is required to completely stay anonymous and secure on Tor.
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