Brave Search, the privacy-focused search engine from the makers of the Brave browser, has introduced its own private image and video search capabilities. This is a big move that allows Brave users to search for multimedia content directly within the search engine, without getting redirected to third parties like Google or Bing.
Up until now, Brave relied on the APIs of companies like Microsoft and Google for image and video results. So every time someone used Brave to look up a photo or video, their query was exposed to potential tracking by big tech firms. But now Brave has full control over its own image and video index, ensuring users’ searches remain private.
Brave is touting this new feature as “100% private” compared to search giants like Google that collect user data to build profiles based on search history. In a statement, Brave said:
Image and video search makes Brave Search a more comprehensive search engine while protecting user privacy. With the ability to search for crucial vertical categories such as images and videos directly within Brave, users can now access even more content than before. Additionally, by keeping all searches within the Brave ecosystem, users benefit from increased speed and privacy when compared with the multiple search engines that rely on third-party providers.
Source: Brave
For those worried about censorship, Brave controlling its own index also means true freedom of information. As an example, Brave points to the time Bing blocked image results for “tank man” relating to the Tiananmen Square protests, which impacted Brave Search at the time since it relied on Bing’s API.
This launch is a big deal because it makes Brave a more complete, standalone privacy solution. Brave users no longer need to turn to Google, Bing, or other search engines for multimedia results – everything can be found right within Brave’s private ecosystem.
Among privacy-focused search options, Brave stands out as the only major player running its own comprehensive index. Others like DuckDuckGo still depend on Microsoft and Google for image and video search capabilities.
If you’re looking to avoid trackers while searching, Brave Search deserves a close look. You can access it directly at search.brave.com or through the Brave browser, which blocks ads and trackers by default. There are other good privacy-respecting choices like Searxng, Startpage, and DuckDuckGo too. But none currently offer the private search capabilities that Brave now provides through full control of its own index. This sets a new standard for privacy online.
