Aloha Browser Expects UK’s New DMCC Act   to Spur Higher Adoption of Privacy Apps

- Privacy browser Aloha had already seen a 40% jump in UK downloads following introduction of EU’s Digital Marketing Act (DMA) in March; more expected now

- Aloha is the only major web browser that does not collect, store or monetise user data

Cyprus, May 30, 2024 — With the United Kingdom passing its Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (DMCC), Aloha Browser, a freely available privacy-first browser, anticipates a major jump in consumer downloads of privacy-oriented apps.

Aloha has already tracked a 40% increase in UK downloads of its free privacy browser since March 7, when the EU passed its own similar legislation, the Digital Markets Act (DMA). That legislation required what it called “digital gatekeepers” — Big Tech like Google and Apple — to provide consumers with more choices for baseline web browsers. The UK’s DMCC will be more open-ended and will provide the UK authorities with a wide amount of leeway in determining ways to provide consumers with more options to counter Big Tech’s monopoly on the networks, devices and software that UK residents use daily.

“The entire European continent has now spoken — and both the EU and the UK have backed greater consumer choice and data privacy,” stated Aloha Browser Founder Andrew Frost Moroz. “The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority openly talked about ‘leveling the playing field,’ and this legislative action is a very important step in providing consumers with many more privacy and data protection options.”

“Our core philosophy is that digital privacy is a fundamental human right, not a luxury. Therefore, Aloha Browser has never collected, stored or monetised any personal data of any kind, making us the only major browser that does not receive any money for user data,” explained Aloha Browser Founder Andrew Frost Moroz.

Aloha provides Android, iOS and Windows users with a completely free, encrypted browser with a no-log VPN, ad blockers and enhanced privacy features like biometrics-locked tabs. Instead of monetising user data, the company generates its revenue solely through subscriptions to its premium VPN and privacy-first AI tools. Aloha is actively used by more than 10 million people a month, and more than 250 million people have downloaded the browser globally.

To ensure user protection, Aloha never uses open-source elements that could compromise privacy in any way. For the open-source elements that it does use, Aloha’s team of developers continuously verifies their safety to ensure there are no trackers. All other proprietary browser elements and features are designed in-house. Aloha blends all potentially fingerprinting data together, making it impossible to distinguish one Aloha user from another. Similarly, the company’s AI Assistant also has privacy at its core: it cannot link a user to their request, which makes it impossible to create a digital twin of a user.

“Now that the EU and the UK have passed similar legislation in a very short timeframe, we are keeping a close eye on the United States,” continued Frost Moroz. “There are several bills currently under consideration by the U.S. Congress that, taken together, would create similar outcomes, including the American Innovation and Choice Act, the Open App Markets Act and the American Privacy Rights Act. All are signs that Americans are not very different from Europeans in their concerns about choice and privacy.”

“In fact, many people — whether in the EU, UK or U.S. — have become fatigued from the constant data mining, tracking, profiling, digital footprints and marketing they encounter during a typical online experience,” added Frost Moroz. “That’s why we created Aloha that stands for the Freedom to be Private. Consumers are looking for ways they can take back control of their digital privacy and personal data, and that often means apps and services which are independent of Big Tech.”

Simple changes to core aspects of the mobile experience like a screen offering a wide range of browser options when first using the phone can have a major effect on consumer choice and in turn privacy. Most users who are never shown a browser choice screen are 80% less likely to change their default browser. On the other hand, being able to provide that choice in Europe has had an immediate effect: in fact, according to Aloha’s statistics, only 5% of users who selected Aloha on the browser choice screen switched back. Since the enactment of the DMA on March 7, Aloha has seen jumps in growth from 200–300% in EU countries like France, Germany, The Netherland, Spain and Italy. As the DMCC regulations start to become part of the UK’s technology landscape, Aloha expects to see user numbers for private web browsers in the UK to also increase sharply.

“Consumers just want the chance to make choices for themselves regarding privacy and personal data,” explains Frost Moroz. “The DMCC Act is opening that window for them and giving them that choice. We expect to see many more consumers start to use different tools that will allow them to regain control over their privacy and personal data online.”

About Aloha Browser

Since 2015, Cyprus-based Aloha Browser has set out to make digital freedom and digital privacy accessible to everyone. Through its privacy-first web browser, Aloha offers a seamless and intuitive user experience while providing unparalleled privacy, security and easy access to online content anytime, anywhere.

The company has adhered to the principle of safeguarding user data. It refrains from any collection, storage, or monetization of user data and derives its revenue from its premium services. Aloha verifies the safety of our open-source engine daily, creates and designs all other browser elements and features in-house. Aloha’s core product is its private and secure web browser, which includes a free encrypted and unlimited VPN with no logs, built-in AdBlock, enhanced privacy features like biometrics-locked tabs, a powerful file manager and a media player with native VR video support. Aloha Browser is currently available for Windows, iOS, iPad and Android platforms, with millions of users worldwide. Find out more at www.alohabrowser.com.

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USA: Phillip Raskin

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EU: Marina Levina

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UK: Tim Gatt

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