Brave, a Chromium-based, privacy-conscious web browser, has been accused of deceiving users by autocompleting URLs entered for cryptocurrency companies into versions of URLs that generate affiliate income

This is despite Brave positioning itself as a "secure and fast private web browser" that blocks "ads that capture data" and trackers

Decrypt reports that the browser failed to notify its 15 million users that they could be directed to affiliate links using a browser-based URL autocomplete feature

The alleged deception was originally discovered on Twitter by user Yannick Eckl He stated that he had learned that the URL for the cryptocurrency exchange Binance autocomplete to affiliate links, but had not been informed of this practice

He tweeted: "Using brave browser and typing "binance us" and typed "binance us/en?ref=35089877" and it redirects to "us/en?ref=35089877

But the redirect links did not stop there, as Dimitar Dinev, managing director of JRR crypto, and cryptocurrency reporter Larry Cermak found that websites such as Coinbase, Trezor, and Ledger had similar autocomplete features directing them to affiliate links

In a series of tweets, Brendan Eich, CEO of Brave Software, apologized for the issue

According to one of the tweets, "The autocomplete default is inspired by the clientid attribution of search queries that all browsers do, but unlike keyword queries, the URL entered will go to the specified domain without any additional need to be added Sorry for making such a mistake - we are obviously not perfect, but we will get back on track soon"

However, Eich explained the reasoning behind the link: "At Brave, we align our interests through private advertising, such as a fixed fee system, the amount we pay users ≥ the amount we earn, and no browser data resides clear on any of our servers, We are trying to build a viable business that puts the user first But we are also looking for in-game affiliate revenue, which we believe is the most important aspect of our business

"This includes bringing new users to Binance and other exchanges via an opt-in trading widget/other UX that protects their privacy before they opt-in As with all major browsers, this will also include search revenue trading If this works, it will be a win for all parties Our users want Brave to live"

Eich is best known for developing the JavaScript web coding language that your browser probably uses today and is the developer and founder of the Firefox web browser and its parent company, the Mozilla Foundation

He left Mozilla in 2014 to found Brave Software after his past contributions to political campaigns against the legalization of same-sex marriage became public