The Indian software group Zoho has released a new web browser with Ulaa. Above all, the Chromium derivative wants to shine with far-reaching data protection functions – and with unusual functions that sometimes completely negate the actual advantages.
Privacy actually the main feature…
Actually, the team behind Ulaa primarily advertises functions that are intended to protect the privacy of users and their data: A permanently integrated “military-grade ad blocker”, the EasyList Filter, is intended to hide annoying advertising. In addition, Zoho itself never wants to sell or even track user data – statistics are only collected completely anonymously. Visited websites or the IP of the device should always remain hidden from the provider. Ulaa also states that it can “prevent the tracking of user data by third-party websites and trackers”.
When used, Ulaa is remarkably inconspicuous, as a first test run under macOS showed. The browser is based on Chromium and is therefore easy to use, the user interface is simple. However, the different operating modes of Ulaa are striking. In addition to a personal, a work and a kids mode, all of which enable or disable different functions, the browser also has its own mode for web development. HTML elements, CSS styles and underlying JavaScript elements can be clearly displayed there.
… except at the user’s request
But the most unusual thing is the open-season mode: Ulaa deactivates all security and privacy features here – and signals this with a bright red user interface. This mode is to be used for websites that no longer work with the actual limitations of the browser or that look different as a result. Zoho calls them “zero-restriction” websites.
Anyone interested can now download Ulaa free of charge. Whether Ulaa, unlike many former browser competitors, can establish itself against the top dogs in the long term is unclear.
(jvo)
