Mozilla co-founder teams up with Dow Jones Media to test consent-based ad platform

The project says it will ‘reset the web for users, publishers and advertisers.’

Data and privacy control has been the subject of debate for several years now, with critics lamenting how users unwittingly gave up control over their information in exchange for free services. Several have pointed out that the “freebies” may not have been worth the trade-off. As a result, a lot of start-ups have started devising their own solutions, with blockchain technology being a major part of their bets to the race.

In the midst of the whole Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data breach scandal, financial information firm Dow Jones Media Group has partnered up with privacy-centric web browser Brave Software to test a blockchain-based digital publishing platform in an effort to solve the privacy issue.

In a press release, the duo says the partnership aims to deliver premium content without compromising privacy, aligning with Brave Software’s pledge of enabling users to “browse faster by blocking ads and trackers that violate your privacy and cost you time and money.”

According to the release, the blockchain project aims to “reset the web for users, publishers and advertisers.” One of Brave’s co-founders is Brendan Eich, who was also a co-founder of another ad-snubbing web browser: Mozilla, and was also the creator of the prominent and ubiquitous programming language JavaScript.

“Users get a better, less cluttered and speedier web experience, publishers will increase their revenue share, and advertisers will receive better reporting,” they wrote in the release.

Under the partnership, the first users to download the Brave web browser will gain access to premium content from Dow Jones Media Group for free, and will become part of the companies’ test phase for their news and information solutions. The free content include Barrons.com and MarketWatch.

“Our partnership with Brave is an exciting and innovative step for Dow Jones Media Group,” said Barrons senior vice president Daniel Bernard. “As global digital publishers, we believe it is important to continually explore new and emerging technologies that can be used to build quality customer experiences.”

Brave’s Eich reiterates the platform’s pledge to privacy: “Our new model reconnects users and publishers without compromising privacy. We look forward to our users enjoying Barron’s and MarketWatch premium newsletters.”