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The latest version of Brave browser (version 1.19.x) supports the decentralized HTTPS alternative IPFS. This means that potentially over 24 million active users per month no longer need central servers to visit websites or internet services.
What is the InterPlanetary File System?
The InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) has been set up in 2015, as an alternative to the old protocol HTTP. HTTP relies on a structure in which all the required information to display a website, is hosted on one central server. IPFS on the other hand, doesn’t rely on centralized servers. This means that information is available through many different nodes in the network. With IPFS, your computer is able to download and display a website much faster.
Content can’t be taken down
If there’s a fault somewhere, the information will come from other nodes. Because of the nodes, websites and internet services can no longer fail because of hosting problems. As long as there are nodes, content can’t be taken down. With IPFS, people have access to all important and critical information across the world. It allows users to evade censorship and server outages.
On the other hand, this also means free rein for illegal or harmful content and misinformation. For example, after the riots, Parler was taken down by Amazon. With IPFS it will be harder to take that kind of control.
About Brave
The founder of Brave is Brendan Eich, the creator of Javascript and former CEO of Mozilla. Brave also has an incognito mode with built-in Tor function. Brave blocks ads and trackers by default, and is based on Google's browser project Chromium.
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