# Brave search starts to identify me as a bot - Paid Proton VPN **URL:** https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/brave-search-starts-to-identify-me-as-a-bot-paid-proton-vpn/28605 **Category:** Questions **Created:** 2025-06-25T05:24:32Z **Posts:** 10 ## Post 1 by @Grunge164 — 2025-06-25T05:24:32Z Hi, I’ve used Brave Search since their release and been a customer of Proton for a couple of years now. Recently, I noticed that Brave Search is starting to identify me as a bot more and more when I am connected to Proton VPN NL server. This doesn’t happen when I am using Startpage. Not sure if this is Brave or Proton’s problem, but is there any way to get more reliability from using both of these two services? Much appreciated! --- ## Post 2 by @anon57862721 — 2025-06-25T05:29:46Z It’s likely a false positive. This should not happen with Brave. What are your browser settings like? Are you always searching on Brave with a new connection and a clean browser with no stored or cached website data? Also, try changing your VPN location and protocol to Stealth and see if that helps? What OS are you on? --- ## Post 3 by @Grunge164 — 2025-06-25T06:33:45Z I’m using Vanadium using its default settings. Changing VPN location sometimes fixes it sometimes doesn’t. The same with changing VPN server within the same country. It’s always a guessing game for me. Last time I tried Stealth, the speed was cut down more significantly and more websites arent working nicely than with Wireguard. It may change now, so I’ll give that a shot. So far, only happens on GrapheneOS. Now that I think about it, I dont think this happens on my Mac or Windows :thinking: --- ## Post 4 by @Grunge164 — 2025-07-09T07:36:57Z A little update: This only happens on my GOS Vanadium with Proton VPN on btw. I noticed on my Windows 11 and Mac, I don’t have this issue, granted on both of these OS I am using Brave Browser. For now, I am using Startpage on Vanadium and it works better. I’ll check if changing to Brave browser on GOS would work better. --- ## Post 5 by @KevPham — 2025-07-09T11:52:57Z I think that’s a good experiment to try out. If true, it does come off as scummy that Brave Browser is needed to circumvent bot checks on Brave Search on GOS. --- ## Post 6 by @Grunge164 — 2025-07-10T05:25:50Z Yesterday it didn’t happen at all, but today it just happened again. So I installed Brave on my GOS. On Brave, it also detected me as a bot, but the difference is that it asks me to prove I am not a bot by doing a slider puzzle. On Vanadium, I only got this error. Do you know if there is any setting in Vanadium that causes this? Otherwise I’ll ask GOS forum. Thanks! ![Screenshot_20250710-072324](https://forum-uploads.privacyguidesusercontent.com/original/2X/c/cd316bc698278e8d9bd4de33d8aa23154342b6c2.png) --- ## Post 7 by @seize — 2025-07-10T06:25:24Z I also tested tge yesterday. The issue seems to be caused by disabling “Javascript JIT” for the “[search.brave.com](http://search.brave.com)” domain. After allowing JIT to run on brave search I no longer receive the error as you show above, and instead just recieve the bot slider. For reference below is the toggle I mentioned ![signal-2025-07-10-02-18-37-443](https://forum-uploads.privacyguidesusercontent.com/original/2X/9/95e9725c84b44ccdaab5b10684bf54c821ec4a0b.png) --- ## Post 8 by @Grunge164 — 2025-07-10T06:55:16Z Ah ok, thanks! It indeed works now. Is Javascript JIT disabled by default in Vanadium? If so, do you know why? --- ## Post 9 by @seize — 2025-07-10T07:19:23Z According to [https://grapheneos.org/features#vanadium](https://grapheneos.org/features#vanadium) it does appear that Javascript JIT is disabled by default now. Quote: > JavaScript JIT disabled by default with per-site toggle via drop-down permission menu though I believe at the time i switched to Graphene OS this was not the case. You would have to ask the Graphene OS devs if you want more details about _Why_ JIT is disabled by default now. --- ## Post 10 by @Grunge164 — 2025-07-10T07:34:21Z Got it! Thanks for looking it up :smiley: