Updates in Terms of Service should have highlights or summary

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While I know most businesses don’t tend to do it either, I really would like to request that Brave consider standing out from the crowd and highlight changes in the Terms of Service when there are new agreements needed. For example, the recent Rewards integration:

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If we go to Brave Rewards Terms of Service it just shows the whole thing. It’s there to read, but would be nice to have a section highlighting what changed or to have it perhaps highlighted in some color to see.

Anyway…just some food for thought as I’m looking and trying to decipher what’s different.

cc: @mattches, @steeven

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Ooh, I see. Old one hadn’t been changed since 2019. Pulled up Wayback Machine version and then had ChatGPT analyze the two. So for myself and anyone else curious, here’s a ChatGPT indicator of what changed. Just be aware, I didn’t double check it, so haven’t verified if anything hallucinated. But it should be good I would think, lol.

Below is a clear, structured comparison outlining all material changes between the July 23, 2019 Brave Rewards User Terms and the November 26, 2025 Brave Rewards User Terms.
This is not a full rewrite of either document but a precise description of what changed, what was added, and what was removed.

High Level Overview of What Changed

The new 2025 Terms are much longer, more complex, and significantly expanded. Major changes include:

  • New account system (Custodial Accounts and Web3 addresses replace the old Uphold-only model).

  • BAT earnings model changed deeply, introducing:

    • User-Owned Ad Space definition
    • User Share caveats
    • Strict forfeiture rules if requirements are not met

  • Auto-contribute, tipping, and UGP portions are largely removed or heavily rewritten

  • Introduction of Indirect Support (Brave keeps ad revenue if you’re not earning)

  • Far more limitations and disclaimers

  • Significant privacy-protocol expansions

  • Market value, exchange rates, and BAT purchase policy added

  • Contribution system now supports non-BAT assets

  • Liability limit changed from “total BAT contributed” to “$500 USD”

  • Contact emails changed

  • Terminology changes (“publishers” replaced with “creators,” “advertisers” split into “Outside Advertisers” and “House Ads”)

Section-by-Section Comparison of Major Changes

Intro and Definitions

Changes

  • Last Updated date: 2019 → 2025

  • Contact email changed:
    contributors@basicattentiontoken.org → legal@basicattentiontoken.org

  • Terminology replaced:

    • “Publishers” → “Brave Verified Creators”
    • “Brave Verified Publishers” → “Brave Verified Creators”
    • “Advertisers” → “Outside Advertisers” and “House Ads”

  • Clarifies features vary by region/device and may be restricted.

1. Overview and Scope

New Language

  • Mentions:

    • Creators signed up via creators.brave.com
    • Platform functionality can vary across OS, device, region.

  • Updated BAT earning description:

    • Earnings only for certain ads
    • Outside Advertisers vs. House Ads

Removed or altered

  • Removed references to:

    • “Platform is decentralized”
    • “open-source platform”
    • Detailed description of contributions and publisher registration.

2. Eligibility

Changes

  • Added:

    • Prohibited regions expanded to “comprehensive sanctions”

  • Removed:

    • Guardian/parent supervision clause for ages 16–18.

3. Activation & Connecting Accounts

Completely rewritten

2019 version:

  • Activation creates a local Uphold wallet
  • Only Uphold supported
  • Local private keys stored only on device

2025 version:

  • Uphold is no longer the only option

  • Custodial Accounts introduced:

    • ZebPay
    • bitFlyer
    • Gemini
    • Uphold
    • plus future providers

  • Web3 self-custody addresses now supported

  • Activation may prompt enabling additional Brave features (e.g., Web Discovery Project).

  • Resetting Rewards returns browser to pre-activation state and makes user ineligible to earn.

Major new responsibilities

  • Company can terminate or limit account connections at any time.

  • Web3 addresses:

    • User pays network fees
    • Transactions are immutable and public
    • Company has zero control over keys or lost access

4. Earnings (Completely Overhauled)

Major differences

  • BAT is now paid out to a Custodial Account or Web3 Address
    (Old version stored BAT in a local browser wallet.)

  • User Share concept introduced:

    • User receives a percentage of revenue from eligible ads
    • Defined term “User-Owned Ad Space”
    • No guarantee of uniform or minimum earnings

Key additions

  • Platform or region may suddenly become unavailable:

    • Users may instantly lose ability to earn or receive payout.

  • Claim Period requirement:

    • Failure to claim earnings forfeits them automatically.

  • Forfeiture rules:

    • If account is restricted, flagged, suspended, or incompatible, earnings are forfeited permanently.

Removed from 2019 Terms

  • Monthly claim challenges proving humanity
  • Automatic local wallet earnings before Uphold verification

New detailed components

  • 4.2 Market Value: describes USD-denominated revenue, exchange-rate sourcing, Brave’s BAT purchase process.
  • 4.3 Limitations: geographic, platform-based, iOS App Store limitations.
  • 4.4 Privacy Protocols: expanded description of anonymous ad confirmations.

5. Contributions

Significant rewrite

2019 version:

  • Auto-Contribute system
  • Contributions from local BAT wallet only
  • Privacy protocol for publisher assignments
  • UGP-supported contributions described

2025 version:

  • Creators may be supported using:

    • BAT
    • Other assets as added later

  • Company may charge up to a 5 percent fee

  • Auto-Contribute, tipping system, publisher registration flow removed

  • New subsections:

With a Custodial Account

  • Transfers executed through Custodial Provider APIs
  • Company cannot cancel or reverse transactions

With a Web3 wallet

  • Transactions are immutable and public
  • Brave cannot reverse them

Indirect Support (completely new)

  • If user is not earning, Brave may:

    • Retain all ad revenue generated by user activity

  • Cannot always be disabled without disabling Rewards entirely

  • User waives all claims related to Brave’s use of retained revenue

6. User Growth Pool

Changed

2019:

  • Detailed description of UGP Grants, rules, misuse prevention, limitations.

2025:

  • Now extremely short:

    • “Company may in its discretion use UGP BAT in a variety of ways.”

  • All explicit rules removed

    • No mention of anti-abuse measures
    • No details on UGP Grant behavior
    • No publisher verification mechanisms

7. Taxes

  • Essentially unchanged.

8. Verified Creators and Advertisers

Changes

  • Terminology updated
  • Company disclaims responsibility more broadly
  • Similar structure but rewritten with updated terms.

9. Privacy

Changes

  • Now explicitly states:

    • Brave Browser is provided by Brave Software, Inc. (Brave US).

  • Points to:

    • Main browser privacy policy
    • Specific Brave Rewards privacy subsection

Old version included a deeper explanation of:

  • IP discarding
  • Privacy-preserving assignment protocol
    These details are removed or moved to Section 4.4.

10. Prohibited Conduct

Added

  • “interact with” in scraping rule
  • “defraud or abuse the Services”
  • Extracting funds in bad faith

Removed

  • Some older phrasing about good-faith usage and specific automated actions

11. Risks Related to BAT

  • Minor wording changes
  • Contact email updated
  • Same reference to Exhibit C of BAT Terms of Sale.

12. Indemnification

Expanded

  • Adds:

    • User agrees not to sue Company for suspending/terminating access

  • Otherwise similar structure.

13. Disclaimers

  • Mostly same but with more emphasis on user risk and inability to use the service.

14. Limitation of Liability

Major change

2019:

  • Liability capped at:

    total amount of BAT you contribute as part of the Services

2025:

  • Liability capped at:

    $500 USD

This is a significant reduction in potential user recovery in many cases.

15. Release

  • Mirrors the old version but updates terms:

    • Publishers → Creators
    • Advertisers → Outside Advertisers, Custodial Providers

16. Arbitration

Key changes

  • Email: contributors@ → legal@

  • Minor wording updates

  • Opt out clause changed:

    • Old allowed opt out until May 1 2019 or within 30 days
    • New allows opt out within 30 days of first acceptance.

17–21. Remaining Sections

Termination and Suspension

  • New addition:

    • Termination forfeits all unpaid earnings

  • Clarifies:

    • BAT already in your custody (Custodial or Web3) is unaffected

Governance, Changes to Terms, Severability, Miscellaneous

  • Mostly unchanged except for wording updates.

Summary of the Most Significant Substantive Changes

Here are the biggest shifts from a user-impact perspective:

1. Local wallets removed

Everything now flows through:

  • Custodial providers
    or
  • Web3 addresses

2. Earnings can be forfeited far more easily

In 2019, unclaimed earnings flowed automatically or could be claimed later.
In 2025:

  • Failure to claim during a window = forfeiture
  • Account restrictions = forfeiture
  • Device/platform/region changes = forfeiture
  • Suspension = forfeiture

3. Company liability dramatically reduced

From “BAT contributed” to $500 maximum.

4. Introduction of Indirect Support

If you’re not earning, Brave may keep all ad revenue generated from your activity.

5. Contributions system expanded

  • Can use multiple asset types
  • Custodial and Web3 flows added
  • Auto-contribute and old tipping mechanisms are removed or replaced

6. Privacy protocol section rewritten

Now more detailed on cryptographic authentication and anonymous tallies.

7. Regional and platform limitations strengthened

Includes explicit mention of:

  • iOS App Store restrictions
  • Possible sudden loss of eligibility

8. Terminology modernization

“Publishers” replaced by “Creators”, “Advertisers” split, etc.

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