Apple Forces Brave to Scrap Rewards Feature form iOS

It has been an incredible year for the Brave browser. However, some of the users of the browser would have to face some disappointment because Apple Inc. has made a change in its policies. Chief executive of crypto exchange and wallet ZenGo, Ouriel Ohayon shared on Twitter that Brave’s digital rewards had been targeted by Apple Inc. He posted a screenshot of the Brave browser’s update that was made on Apple’s App Store. The most prominent change is that the browser has removed its tipping feature and the rewards structure has also been changed for iOS users. An announcement by the company explained that the browser’s new version i.e. 1.22 included some changes for complying with the app marketplace policies set forth by Apple.

Brave highlighted that iPhone and iPad users will be restricted from earning rewards through their browser activity. They were also going to eliminate tip creators. The older versions of the browser had included a model where tips and rewards were given to high-quality content creators in the form of the Basic Attention Token (BAT). Users were also given rewards for browsing and they could also give their favorite content creators some bonuses. Sadly, the app store policies were changed by Apple with its iOS 14 update.

Part of the changes made by the company include eliminating these features. Brave explained in its statement that the new guidelines put forward by Apple prevent users from giving any tips to a person or company, unless they give something that’s bought through Apple in-app purchases. Those who had opted in for the Brave Rewards System for giving their BAT to content creators wouldn’t be able to do so in the future. The update was in accordance with Apple’s aim to eliminate the ability of the apps to ask users to provide them with five-star ratings in exchange for incentives.

Known as ‘tasks for cash’, the tactic implies a relationship that could be exploited by malicious developers and hackers for improving the reach of their apps. Brave said that this hadn’t been the case with their rewards structure. Still, the rewards structure was linked by Apple with the illegal act and asked for it to be removed. The browser said that iOS users who had used their rewards system for accumulating BAT can transfer them to the desktop versions. It appears that the reward system is still in effect on the Android platform.

The move is undoubtedly going to affect the iOS clients of the Brave browser, especially as the service is gaining momentum. Last month, Brave had disclosed in its latest transparency report that they had reached 20 million monthly active users, which was an increase from 8.7 million they had reached in November 2019. There has also been an increase in the daily active users of the browser, as they moved from 3 million to 7 million, from November 2019 until now. As far as content creators are concerned, they have jumped to nearly 1 million from 300,000 in the same period.