Glossary

ARCHIVED 2023-07-02, DATE APPROXIMATE · VERSION 20230702_rev01 · COMPARED WITH 20230512_rev01

Full text changes — 20230512_rev01 to 20230702_rev01

COLOUR MARKS THE SEVERITY OF A FLAGGED CLAUSE · + AND − MARK ADDED AND REMOVED

 ## A
 [Ad blocker](https://brave.com/glossary/ad-blocker/)
 An ad blocker is a browser feature, or a browser extension, that prevents your Web browser from showing ads on webpages, videos, streams, podcasts, or apps. Ad blockers often improve your browsing experience, but can bring security risks.
+[AML](https://brave.com/glossary/aml/)
+AML stands for "anti-money laundering." The term refers to the practices that financial institutions-like banks and payment services-use to make sure their customers' money does not come from illegal activity. Financial regulators require institutions to have robust AML, as part of their efforts to fight financial crime.
 [AMP](https://brave.com/glossary/amp/)
 AMP stands for "Accelerated Mobile Pages," a limited version of HTML, developed by Google. Website owners can create AMP versions of their pages, which look like they're coming from the original publisher's site. But in fact an AMP page is a cached version of the original page that lives on Google's servers. This makes AMP harmful to privacy, security, and the openness of the Web. Google positioned AMP as a way for website owners to make their pages faster but, ironically, they're often slower than the original publisher versions.
 [Anonymity](https://brave.com/glossary/anonymity/)
 ## C
 [Cache](https://brave.com/glossary/cache/)
 Cache (also known as "browser cache" or "Web cache") is a temporary storage area on your device that holds copies of frequently accessed webpages, images, and other online content. Allowing your browser to store some data about previously visited websites prevents the need for future requests, and helps those sites / pages load faster the next time you visit.
+[Certificate](https://brave.com/glossary/certificate/)
+A certificate is a digital document that a website or other Internet service uses to prove its identity to users. If you see a lock icon in your Web browser's address bar, that means the website you're viewing has presented a valid certificate. And this generally means that anyone who might be spying on your Internet connection (like someone else on your Wi-Fi network) wouldn't be able to see or modify the content you're seeing on that website.
 [Client](https://brave.com/glossary/client/)
 A client is the hardware or software that accesses a service on a server. The term "client" may refer to a person using the service, or a piece of software (like a Web browser) or hardware (like a phone or computer) the person is using to access the service. A server is a piece of software or hardware whose purpose is to offer a service over a computer network, such as the Internet.
 [Cookie](https://brave.com/glossary/cookie/)
 A cookie is a small piece of data that a website (the server) places on your device (the client). The exact meaning of cookie contents is specific to each website. In some cases these are benign, and required for the site or app to function (e.g. to know you put an item in a shopping cart). In other cases, cookies can be used to track your browsing activity, search history, and to follow you across the Web. Note that the term "cookie" is used in two different ways: to describe a specific way of setting values on browsers; and as a general term for all ways sites can store values on clients.
+[Cybersecurity](https://brave.com/glossary/cybersecurity/)
+Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting computing devices and networks from external threats. For purposes of this article, "cybersecurity" refers to practices that IT and security professionals use to protect the systems they're in charge of, or whole groups of employees. The related term "security" is more general, and can also refer to practices an individual might take to stay safe online or a business might use to secure the buildings they use.
+## D
+[DNS](https://brave.com/glossary/dns/)
+The Domain Name System (DNS) is an Internet protocol that enables a browser and operating system to look up the IP addresses that correspond to domain names. IP addresses and domain names are each a type of identifier for devices on the Internet. IP addresses are numerical (like 203.0.113.43), while domain names are human-readable (like "brave.com").
 ## E
 [Encryption](https://brave.com/glossary/encryption/)
 Encryption is a cryptography term that means a message or data is indecipherable to outside observers. In Web browsing, this can mean data is unreadable as it moves across the Internet. If the data is also only readable by the site or app you want to view, it would be "end-to-end" (E2E) encrypted. Note that E2E encryption has very specific technical requirements, and most services that claim to offer it actually don't. Also note that in some cases the parties on the website you're viewing can see your message content (e.g. Facebook can see what you post in the WhatsApp client).
 A fingerprint is a combination of many characteristics of your browser and device that uniquely identify you to a website. Fingerprinting is a tracking technique that doesn't rely on cookies, which more browsers are blocking by default.
 [First-party ad](https://brave.com/glossary/first-party-ad/)
 A first-party ad is a Web ad whose content is loaded from the same domain as the page showing the ad. The domain is the part of the URL after the "://" and before the next slash. For example, the domain of this page's URL is "brave.com." The opposite of a first-party ad is a third-party ad, which is loaded from a different domain than the page showing the ad.
+## G
+[GDPR](https://brave.com/glossary/gdpr/)
+The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European Union (EU) law. It provides individuals with rights over the use of their personal data, and sets out rules that companies and organizations must follow when collecting and using personal data about individuals. GDPR has been in force since 2018.
 ## H
 [HTML](https://brave.com/glossary/html/)
 HTML (short for "HyperText Markup Language") is a system of special notations that specify what a webpage should look like and how it should work. HTML is how webpages-including their text, images, tables, links, forms, and so on-are transmitted over the Internet to your device. HTML is the standard coding (or "markup") language used to build pages that render in a Web browser.
 An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a numerical label (like 203.0.113.43) that identifies a device on a network, and allows computers to talk to each other. Any device on any network will need an IP address so it can receive data from other devices; the IP address is how the network gets data to the right place. Some IP addresses are public, while others are private. Sometimes, your IP address can be used to identify and track you across sites and apps.
 [ISP](https://brave.com/glossary/isp/)
 An Internet service provider (ISP) can provide home or work access to the Web, along with things like domain name registration and Web hosting. For many home Internet users, being online means all data must go through some sort of ISP (and this ISP can see all your traffic and online activity unless you take steps to prevent it). Some examples of ISPs include Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon.
+## K
+[KYC](https://brave.com/glossary/kyc/)
+KYC stands for "Know Your Customer." The term refers to the practices that financial institutions-like banks and payment services-use to make sure they know the true identities of the people and organizations they serve, and to assess the risks of serving them. The term can also refer to the government regulations that require these practices. Financial regulators require institutions to have robust KYC, as part of their effort to fight financial crime.
 ## M
 [Malware](https://brave.com/glossary/malware/)
 Malware is any software that has a malicious purpose. Common uses of malware are to steal private information, steal or extort money, disrupt infrastructure, or to simply cause chaos. Examples of malware include viruses, Trojans, ransomware, and Spyware. When browsing the Web, it's important to take adequate steps to protect yourself from malware.
 Computer security is the protection of computing devices, networks, and data from external threats.
 [Server](https://brave.com/glossary/server/)
 A server is a piece of software or hardware whose purpose is to offer a service over a computer network, such as the Internet. Servers can be physical machines, virtual machines, or software that performs server-like functions. The consumers of the service are called clients. The term "client" may refer to a person using the service, or a piece of software (like a Web browser) or hardware (like a phone or computer) the person is using to access the service.
+[Spam](https://brave.com/glossary/spam/)
+Spam is unwanted, unsolicited communications such as emails, text messages (SMS), or calls, sent in bulk to many recipients at once.
 [Storage](https://brave.com/glossary/storage/)
 Storage is a general term in computing that means keeping data over a period of time. In the context of Web browsers, it has a more specific meaning: Web browsers set aside a limited amount of space on your device, where websites can store data. This is usually called "local storage." Common uses of local storage are to store your settings for the site (such as your dark mode / light mode preferences) and to save work in progress. Some sites may also use local storage to enable limited offline functionality (such as the ability to continue editing a Google doc, even without a Wi-Fi connection).
 [Surveillance economy](https://brave.com/glossary/surveillance-economy/)