Brave web browser cleverly adds Binance affiliate code to Binance URL
Brave web browser is gaining quite a lot of traction lately. It claims to be privacy centric and offers a Binance widget that lets you buy cryptocurrency easily. However, a Twitter user, Cryptonator1337 pointed out that whenever he types in binance.us, he automatically gets redirected to binance.us/en?ref=35089877.
This happens with Binance.com domain as well. We can confirm this. As soon as we typed-in binance, it gave us option to go to Binance.com and Binance.us, each shown with its affiliate link.
When Cryptonator1337 asked Brendan Eich, Co-Founder and CEO of Brave web browser, he said that they have indeed partnered with Binance as affiliate and that code identifies them, not users.
So when you are using the @brave browser and type in “binance[.]us” you end up getting redirected to “binance[.]us/en?ref=35089877” – I see what you did there mates 😂
— Cryptonator1337 (@cryptonator1337) June 6, 2020
Yes, we partner with Binance as an affiliate. That code identifies us, not you.
— BrendanEich (@BrendanEich) June 6, 2020
And when asked if this is ethical or not, Brendan replied,
“Yes. Please say why you don’t. It is similar to when you search in Firefox, Opera, or Safari, and a clientid query parameter is added.“
Does this mean Brave web browser is same as other web browsers? You decide.
Interestingly, Brave browser is doing this nasty practice with only Binance and not with other cryptocurrency exchanges. You don’t get an affiliate link in URL suggestion area for Poloniex, KuCoin, Huobi, CEX.io and other exchanges that also have affiliate program.
Sneaky – yes, especially when you think about Brave’s mission.