--- title: "Brave Leo | Ethical Stack" url: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/brave-leo/ catalog_version: f6baff2119d0e9158520da7fbe4232011dac79f25bd08757436d7a1dbd593db2 --- # Brave Leo Browser-integrated assistant can summarize pages and search results; chat history is stored locally, while inference uses hosted or user-selected models. Canonical profile: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/brave-leo/ Scope: Brave Leo: both access. Free tier; Leo Premium subscription available. Ratings describe the stated product, company or configuration in each finding. Published overall: 5; 5/6 dimensions rated. Round the equal-weight mean of available numerical ratings to one decimal; require at least four of six for an overall score. BDS status stays outside the mean; for eligible profiles, a boycott target caps the final score at 2/10 and a pressure target subtracts one point (minimum 1). Not listed and not checked do not adjust the score. ## Energy practices Finding: 3/10 Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/brave-leo/#energy Brave Leo offers Brave-hosted model choices and optional BYOM routes to local or remote models. The serving boundary varies, and the reviewed sources publish no energy, emissions, water, or power-source data. Reason: 1 + 1 reporting + 0 electricity + 1 controls = 3/10. This grade covers documented practices and transparency; it does not measure the energy or emissions of a request. Argument: Brave’s BYOM documentation distinguishes hosted, local and third-party remote routes; that is useful boundary disclosure but no route has a published footprint or power mix. Users can select models, including smaller local variants, earning C1 for one demand choice. This does not establish a greener outcome because device energy, model use, and upstream serving are unmeasured. Type: conditional; confidence: medium Scope (dimension): Brave Leo consumer interface. Hosted Leo and user-selected BYOM/local/remote inference are separate routes; no one electricity profile applies to them. Research reviewed: 2026-10-24; evidence date: 2026-10-24 Unknowns: Hosted Leo model/region/facility allocation; local model hardware and electricity; remote endpoint provider and region; per-request energy/water/emissions; impact of different model choices. ```json { "method": "practices-transparency-v1", "scope": "Brave Leo consumer interface. Hosted Leo and user-selected BYOM/local/remote inference are separate routes; no one electricity profile applies to them.", "components": { "disclosure": { "score": 1, "reason": "Brave documents hosted model choices and BYOM connections to local or remote models, establishing a variable host boundary but no environmental quantities.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/34070140231821-How-do-I-use-the-Bring-Your-Own-Model-BYOM-with-Brave-Leo", "https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/26727364100493-What-are-the-differences-between-Leo-s-AI-Models" ] }, "electricity": { "score": 0, "reason": "For the hosted route, Brave provides no clean-power sourcing data; BYOM can select arbitrary third-party or local providers, so no common electricity grade can be inherited.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/34070140231821-How-do-I-use-the-Bring-Your-Own-Model-BYOM-with-Brave-Leo", "https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/26727364100493-What-are-the-differences-between-Leo-s-AI-Models" ] }, "demand": { "score": 1, "reason": "Users can choose among Leo models and, for BYOM, select smaller local models such as 1B/3B variants. This is one model-size choice, not a measured efficiency or whole-device footprint.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/34070140231821-How-do-I-use-the-Bring-Your-Own-Model-BYOM-with-Brave-Leo", "https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/26727364100493-What-are-the-differences-between-Leo-s-AI-Models" ] } }, "actualImpactMeasured": false, "meaning": "Documented environmental practices and transparency. Zero component points mean a reviewed evidence gap." } ``` - [How do I use BYOM with Brave Leo?](https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/34070140231821-How-do-I-use-the-Bring-Your-Own-Model-BYOM-with-Brave-Leo) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [What are the differences between Leo’s AI Models?](https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/26727364100493-What-are-the-differences-between-Leo-s-AI-Models) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) ## Training data Finding: Depends on the model Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/brave-leo/#training-rights Brave documents BYOM for user-selected local models and remote provider APIs. Local inference changes data location, not training-data provenance, and the exact model is user-dependent. Reason: Select a specific Leo model or BYOM model and version; score that model provider rather than the Leo wrapper. This grades documented training-data safeguards, not a legal ruling. Argument: No single training corpus can be assigned to the product when BYOM and provider selection are optional. A score should follow the exact model/version chosen by the user. Type: conditional; confidence: low Scope (dimension): Brave Leo service with optional built-in and user-supplied local or remote model routes. Research reviewed: 2026-10-24; evidence date: not recorded Unknowns: The selected built-in model or BYOM model identifier and version are required for an assessable corpus scope. ```json { "method": "training-rights-evidence-v1", "scope": "Brave Leo service with optional built-in and user-supplied local or remote model routes.", "components": null, "routeDependency": "Select a specific Leo model or BYOM model and version; score that model provider rather than the Leo wrapper.", "modelReference": null, "meaning": "Documented training-data rights safeguards. Low points may reflect missing evidence; they do not establish infringement." } ``` - [How do I use BYOM with Brave Leo?](https://support.brave.app/hc/en-us/articles/34070140231821-How-do-I-use-the-Bring-Your-Own-Model-BYOM-with-Brave-Leo) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) ## Your data & privacy Finding: 7/10 Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/brave-leo/#privacy Brave says its hosted Leo service discards prompts after processing and does not use chats for model training. When a user selects an Anthropic model, Brave’s model guidance says the provider may retain conversation data for up to 30 days, without training use; local BYOM routes follow the chosen endpoint’s own terms. Reason: Brave’s own hosted path has unusually short retention, no prompt training and unlinkable use. The selectable Anthropic route has a longer, provider-held retention window, and local/remote BYOM transfers control to the selected model endpoint, so the product earns a strong but configuration-dependent score below the highest band. Argument: Brave’s own hosted path has unusually short retention, no prompt training and unlinkable use. The selectable Anthropic route has a longer, provider-held retention window, and local/remote BYOM transfers control to the selected model endpoint, so the product earns a strong but configuration-dependent score below the highest band. Type: conditional; confidence: medium Scope (dimension): Selected configuration Research reviewed: not recorded; evidence date: not recorded Unknowns: Brave’s own hosted path has unusually short retention, no prompt training and unlinkable use. The selectable Anthropic route has a longer, provider-held retention window, and local/remote BYOM transfers control to the selected model endpoint, so the product earns a strong but configuration-dependent score below the highest band. - [Browser Privacy Policy: Brave Leo](https://brave.com/privacy/browser/#brave-leo) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [What are the differences between Leo’s AI Models?](https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/26727364100493-What-are-the-differences-between-Leo-s-AI-Models) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [How do I use BYOM with Brave Leo?](https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/34070140231821-How-do-I-use-the-Bring-Your-Own-Model-BYOM-with-Brave-Leo) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) ## Openness Finding: 7/10 Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/brave-leo/#openness Brave’s browser core is public under MPL 2.0. Leo supports desktop BYOM connections to local models through a runtime such as Ollama or to a user-selected endpoint. This can replace the hosted model route with local inference, but the user supplies the model/runtime; Brave does not establish that its standard hosted models, model weights, or full remote routing service are self-hostable. Reason: The public browser core and documented local inference path provide meaningful control over the assistant client and configured serving route. A local setup is possible but requires a separate model/runtime, while ordinary hosted Leo remains a provider-dependent service; that supports a substantial but not end-to-end openness score. Argument: The public browser core and documented local inference path provide meaningful control over the assistant client and configured serving route. A local setup is possible but requires a separate model/runtime, while ordinary hosted Leo remains a provider-dependent service; that supports a substantial but not end-to-end openness score. Type: conditional; confidence: medium Scope (dimension): Selected configuration Research reviewed: not recorded; evidence date: not recorded Unknowns: The public browser core and documented local inference path provide meaningful control over the assistant client and configured serving route. A local setup is possible but requires a separate model/runtime, while ordinary hosted Leo remains a provider-dependent service; that supports a substantial but not end-to-end openness score. - [Brave Core source repository](https://github.com/brave/brave-core) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [How do I use BYOM with Brave Leo?](https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/34070140231821-How-do-I-use-the-Bring-Your-Own-Model-BYOM-with-Brave-Leo) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) ## Worker protections Finding: 1/10 Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/brave-leo/#labour Brave’s Leo documentation identifies Brave-hosted models and user-selected BYOM routes, but does not disclose workforce or contractor conditions for its own model operations, data work, or moderation. Reason: 1 + 0 pay & conditions + 0 worker voice & remedy + 0 evidence & follow-through = 1/10. This grades documented worker safeguards, not a measured rate of mistreatment. Argument: Brave’s Leo documentation identifies Brave-hosted models and user-selected BYOM routes, but does not disclose workforce or contractor conditions for its own model operations, data work, or moderation. Different model routes create separate upstream labor boundaries; supplier evidence cannot be attributed to every Leo request. Type: argument; confidence: low Scope (dimension): Brave's workforce and disclosed contractors. Coverage of individual product teams may be incomplete. Research reviewed: 2026-10-24; evidence date: not recorded Unknowns: Worker pay, exposure and health protections, paid versus volunteer roles, vendor/subcontractor coverage, grievance routes, and independent outcome checks are not established by the reviewed leo model and byom documentation checked; no labor standards, vendor coverage, or worker outcome reporting was present in those product pages. ```json { "method": "worker-safeguards-evidence-v1", "entity": "brave", "company": "Brave", "scope": "Brave's workforce and disclosed contractors. Coverage of individual product teams may be incomplete.", "components": { "conditions": { "score": 0, "reason": "No opened source reports worker pay, hours, exposure protections, contractor coverage, or worker-level outcomes for Brave. The reviewed material is limited to Leo model and BYOM documentation checked; no labor standards, vendor coverage, or worker outcome reporting was present in those product pages.; its silence is an information gap, not evidence of poor conditions.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://support.brave.app/hc/en-us/articles/26727364100493-What-are-the-differences-between-Leo-s-AI-Models", "https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/34070140231821-How-do-I-use-the-Bring-Your-Own-Model-BYOM-with-Brave-Leo", "https://brave.com/terms-of-use/", "https://brave.com/leo/?via=toolforge" ] }, "voice": { "score": 0, "reason": "The reviewed material for Brave does not establish worker representation, grievance access, bargaining voice, or documented remedies. Public code contributions, customer controls, or creator rights do not demonstrate worker voice across employees and suppliers.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://support.brave.app/hc/en-us/articles/26727364100493-What-are-the-differences-between-Leo-s-AI-Models", "https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/34070140231821-How-do-I-use-the-Bring-Your-Own-Model-BYOM-with-Brave-Leo", "https://brave.com/terms-of-use/", "https://brave.com/leo/?via=toolforge" ] }, "assurance": { "score": 0, "reason": "No reviewed source provides an independent audit or corroborated worker-level outcomes for Brave’s relevant employees, contractors, and data-work suppliers. The available disclosures are company/project materials rather than independent labor verification.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://support.brave.app/hc/en-us/articles/26727364100493-What-are-the-differences-between-Leo-s-AI-Models", "https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/34070140231821-How-do-I-use-the-Bring-Your-Own-Model-BYOM-with-Brave-Leo", "https://brave.com/terms-of-use/", "https://brave.com/leo/?via=toolforge" ] } }, "disclosureLimited": true, "meaning": "This grades documented worker safeguards, not a measured rate of mistreatment." } ``` - [What are the differences between Leo’s AI Models?](https://support.brave.app/hc/en-us/articles/26727364100493-What-are-the-differences-between-Leo-s-AI-Models) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [How do I use BYOM with Brave Leo?](https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/34070140231821-How-do-I-use-the-Bring-Your-Own-Model-BYOM-with-Brave-Leo) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [Brave Terms of Use](https://brave.com/terms-of-use/) (terms; checked 2026-10-24) - [Brave Leo product policy and model routes](https://brave.com/leo/?via=toolforge) (product-policy; checked 2026-10-24) ## Military ties Finding: 7/10 Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/brave-leo/#military-contracts Brave’s published Terms apply to its browser and related services but contain no specific military-use restriction; no Brave Software military relationship was established. Reason: 7 base + 0 safeguard adjustment = 7/10 (0 of 9 safeguard points; every 3 adds 1). No military relationship was established in the cited sources. This ranks above known defense ties without claiming a verified clean record. Argument: Brave Terms govern the browser and related services; Leo can route to Brave-hosted models, named third-party providers, or user-supplied models. Brave’s published terms do not state a military, weapons or harmful-surveillance use ban, and its public Leo policy invites feedback but does not describe a military-specific use enforcement program. The targeted official review did not establish a Brave Software military customer. Ukraine’s “Brave1” defense innovation platform is a distinct entity and excluded. Type: argument; confidence: low Scope (dimension): Brave's relationships and safeguards. A company relationship does not identify every product or release used. Research reviewed: 2026-10-24; evidence date: not recorded Unknowns: Unpublished contracts, reseller/subcontractor activity, customer-configured use and enforcement outcomes remain unknown. Hosted AUPs do not necessarily apply to independent local deployments or permissively licensed copies. ```json { "method": "military-ties-priority-v2", "entity": "brave", "company": "Brave", "scope": "Brave's relationships and safeguards. A company relationship does not identify every product or release used.", "components": { "restrictions": { "score": 0, "reason": "The reviewed Brave Terms contain generic terms but no military, weapons or harmful-surveillance ban; Leo provider AUPs vary by route and user-selected BYOM is not governed by a uniform Brave model-use policy.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://support.brave.app/hc/en-us/articles/26727364100493-What-are-the-differences-between-Leo-s-AI-Models", "https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/34070140231821-How-do-I-use-the-Bring-Your-Own-Model-BYOM-with-Brave-Leo", "https://brave.com/terms-of-use/", "https://brave.com/leo/?via=toolforge" ] }, "oversight": { "score": 0, "reason": "The reviewed Brave feedback route and general service termination terms are not a military-use-specific review or enforcement mechanism; no such military-specific enforcement is disclosed.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://support.brave.app/hc/en-us/articles/26727364100493-What-are-the-differences-between-Leo-s-AI-Models", "https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/34070140231821-How-do-I-use-the-Bring-Your-Own-Model-BYOM-with-Brave-Leo", "https://brave.com/terms-of-use/", "https://brave.com/leo/?via=toolforge" ] }, "transparency": { "score": 0, "reason": "No Brave Software government or defense customer/use is established; the Brave1 defense platform is a separate Ukrainian entity.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://support.brave.app/hc/en-us/articles/26727364100493-What-are-the-differences-between-Leo-s-AI-Models", "https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/34070140231821-How-do-I-use-the-Bring-Your-Own-Model-BYOM-with-Brave-Leo", "https://brave.com/terms-of-use/", "https://brave.com/leo/?via=toolforge" ] } }, "relationship": "not-established", "relationshipReason": "The bounded official review found no named military/intelligence contract or operational use for this company/project. This evidence limit is not a clean bill of health; third-party model-provider relationships and customers’ independent deployments are separate.", "score": 7, "baseScore": 7, "safeguardPoints": 0, "safeguardAdjustment": 0, "rawScore": 7, "cap": null, "disclosureLimited": true, "meaning": "Known military relationships take priority over missing safeguards. The rating does not establish the probability of an undisclosed contract." } ``` - [What are the differences between Leo’s AI Models?](https://support.brave.app/hc/en-us/articles/26727364100493-What-are-the-differences-between-Leo-s-AI-Models) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [How do I use BYOM with Brave Leo?](https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/34070140231821-How-do-I-use-the-Bring-Your-Own-Model-BYOM-with-Brave-Leo) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [Brave Terms of Use](https://brave.com/terms-of-use/) (terms; checked 2026-10-24) - [Brave Leo product policy and model routes](https://brave.com/leo/?via=toolforge) (product-policy; checked 2026-10-24) ## BDS targets Finding: Not listed Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/brave-leo/#israel-palestine No named target found in the two checked BNC campaign lists. Reason: Company name checked against the BNC consumer boycott/pressure guide and official No Tech campaign list; no named target found. This limited list check is not BDS approval and does not cover every campaign, subsidiary, supplier, or product route. Argument: Company name checked against the BNC consumer boycott/pressure guide and official No Tech campaign list; no named target found. This limited list check is not BDS approval and does not cover every campaign, subsidiary, supplier, or product route. Type: conditional; confidence: medium Scope (dimension): Company record Research reviewed: not recorded; evidence date: not recorded Unknowns: Company name checked against the BNC consumer boycott/pressure guide and official No Tech campaign list; no named target found. This limited list check is not BDS approval and does not cover every campaign, subsidiary, supplier, or product route. - [BNC consumer boycott and pressure guide](https://bdsmovement.net/Guide-to-BDS-Boycott) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [BNC No Tech campaign](https://bdsmovement.net/no-tech-oppression-apartheid-or-genocide) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) ## Reading the evidence - Assessments are provisional editorial judgments. Cite the profile and the underlying sources, and retain confidence, scope and unknowns. - Unknown, not-applicable and model-dependent are different states. Missing evidence does not establish good or bad conduct. - Company-level evidence does not establish use of a particular product or model. Account plan, model, host and route can change an assessment. - Energy scores describe documented practices and transparency, not measured request emissions. Zero component points can mean an evidence gap. - Published overall scores require at least four of six numerical dimensions. Preserve coverage and BDS adjustments; BDS itself is categorical. - No named BDS target found is limited to the reviewed campaign sources and is not approval. Personalized priorities do not change the published overall score. - Review and source-check dates describe the research, not this deployment. Fetch current primary sources when the decision requires current verification. Methodology: https://ethicalstack.ai/methodology/