Zoho launches Ulaa, a web browser with a focus on user’s privacy

Chennai-headquartered technology company, Zoho Corporation, on Thursday launched Ulaa, a privacy-centered browser, which in Tamil means a voyage or journey.  

The new web browser is said to secure personal data by having pre-built capabilities that block tracking and website surveillance. The browser allows features of privacy customization, built-in user profile modes, and even lets users sync their browsing sessions between devices, including single tabs and browser window to allow seamless browsing, the company said in a press release.  

Sridhar Vembu, CEO and Co-founder, Zoho Corporation, believes that existing browsers in the market are built “to protect the respective company’s ad based business models and surveillance companies that complement them.” They do not protect user privacy.   

Vembu added that with Ulaa, users don’t have to compromise their privacy to browse the web, which unfortunately has become a surveillance minefield. Zoho’s commitment to privacy and privacy-centric business model allows it to offer a conflict-free, privacy-centric browser to those who value their own privacy and their kids’ privacy, he added. 

For example, unlike existing Ulaa will not track nor share data with third parties. With the prohibition of DNS prefetching, data cannot be cached, and with ad and data tracking blockers, any form of unauthorized push notification, pop-ups and time tracking is prohibited. Thereby, preventing targeted advertisements and identity thefts. Ulaa also disables APIs that allow websites to connect and communicate with devices that are connected to the computer or Wi-Fi network.  

As of December 2022, India had over 700 million active internet users, and by 2025 it is expected to reach 900 million, according to the "Internet in India Report 2022," which was produced in collaboration between the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and KANTAR, the number of active internet users in the nation increased by about 10% in 2022.

According to Zoho, as the internet user base increases so will privacy threat vectors and concerns. In view of that Ulaa is designed to protect users against tracking and surveillance. The company also said that Ulaa will be available in desktop and mobile for free.  

In addition, the organization announced its execution and ongoing plans in generative artificial intelligence (AI).  Zoho said it is integrating its AI engine Zia, which runs on its secure cloud, with OpenAI. There are now 13 generative AI Zoho application extensions and integrations that are powered by ChatGPT, it said. 

For over a decade, Zoho has been executing and implementing Zia across its product portfolio, developing in-house technology running on the company’s private cloud. 

"The fusion of ChatGPT's generative AI with our homegrown AI features will provide users with a more intuitive, efficient, and secure experience, reflecting Zoho's deep R&D-first culture," said Ramprakash Ramamoorthy, Director - AI Research, Zoho Corporation. 

The company also said that it will continue its integration with ChatGPT and buildi in-house large language models and heavily adopt generative AI in its workflow.