 | |
Screenshot  A screenshot of UC Browser forAndroid. | |
| Developer(s) | UCWeb Alibaba Group |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 2004; 21 years ago (2004) |
| Stable release(s) | |
| |
| Engine | Blink,V8 |
| Operating system | |
| Standard(s) | HTML5,CSS3 |
| Available in | 25 languages |
| Type | Mobile browser |
| License | Proprietary software withEULA(link) andTerms of Use(link) |
| Website | www |
UC Browser is aweb browser developed by mobile internet companyUCWeb, a subsidiary of theAlibaba Group. It was the most popular mobile browser inIndia,Indonesia, andMali, as well as the second-most popular one inChina as of 2017. Its world-wide browser share as of May 2022 is 0.86% overall (and 1.48% on smartphones) according toStatCounter.[1]
Originally launched in April 2004 as aJava-onlyapplication, it was subsequently made available on a number of platforms includingAndroid,iOS,BlackBerry OS,Java ME,Symbian,Windows Phone, andMicrosoft Windows.[2][3][failed verification] As of 2020, Android is the only operating system still supported by the browser.[clarification needed]
It has been the subject of privacy and security controversies and was banned in India on 29 June 2020, shortly after theChina–India skirmishes started.[4]
UC Browser is a cross-platformweb browser primarily targeted at mobile phones.[5] It is known for its small app size anddata compression technology, making it popular inemerging markets where people tend to have mobile phones with more limited device memory andinternet bandwidth.[5] In particular, the browser makes use ofproxy servers, which run data through UCWeb servers before sending it to the user's device, enabling data compression but also posing privacy risks.[2] Additional features of the browser includecloud acceleration, multi-file format downloading,HTML5 web app and cloud syncing features, and "fast download", a feature that downloads files in multiple parts simultaneously.
UC Browser is available as both anAndroid app and aniOS app, and is also available on several other older or discontinued mobile operating systems includingBlackBerry OS,Symbian, andWindows Phone.[3] While primarily a mobile app, UCWeb also offers aMicrosoft Windows desktop version (there is nomacOS version).
UC Browser usesproxy servers to compress web pages before sending them to users.[2] This process requires less memory on the user's device and lowers data costs; however, it also poses privacy and security risks as all of the data accessed by the user through UC Browser first runs through a UCWeb server, rather than going directly to the user's device.
In July 2013, UCWeb announced the UC+ Open Platform. The platform consists of a WebApp store, an add-on platform and an Application Bookmark Platform. It went live with the launch of UC Browser v9.2 for Android.[6]
Developers can use a providedSDK to create programs that the browser runs in different scenarios. Users can download and install them from the browser's add-on panel. Examples include sharing tosocial media, webpage translation, augmented reality, and voice control. The Application Bookmark Platform allows partner websites to put up aQR code on UC Browser for users to scan, which adds the webpage to their bookmarks. This platform was among the first in China.
The browser supports simultaneous downloads and includes a download manager, including pages for offline reading. It supports pausing and resuming downloads.[7] The current version of the download manager has features designed to solve common problems while downloading, such as an intermittent internet connection and mislabeled files.[8] The download process can continue after the app is closed, and can also automatically resume if the download is interrupted.[9] The download manager sorts downloaded files by type and places them in respective folders.[10]
UCWeb claims that the cloud system used by the browser tends to fetch data from the closest servers available, making the loading process quicker and smoother for users.[11]
In May 2015, the AmericanNational Security Agency (NSA) documents leaked by whistleblowerEdward Snowden indicated that UC Browser leaks sensitive data likeinternational mobile subscriber identities,international mobile station equipment identities,MSISDN's, Android ID's,MAC addresses, andgeolocation andWi-Fi-related data without any encryption.[12] These leaks are used by intelligence agencies to track users. The documents also revealed that theAustralian Signals Directorate (ASD) had identified UC Browser as a security weak point. Its widespread use in China, India and Indonesia made it particularly attractive to ASD's exploits. The Snowden documents revealed that in cooperation with itsFive Eyes partners, ASD hacked the UC Browser and infected smartphones with spyware. The ASD declined to comment in relation to the revelations.[13]
Following the leaks, theCitizen Lab based at theUniversity of Toronto published an independent report corroborating numerous privacy and security issues with both the English language and Chinese language editions of the Android version of UC Browser.[14][15][16][17][18] The report criticized the transmission ofpersonally identifiable information to various commercial analytics tools and the transmission of user search queries without encryption. They also managed to bypass the encryption of UC Browser, leading them to accuse UCWeb of using non-effective encryption systems to transmit personally identifiable subscriber data, mobile device identifiers, and usergeolocation data.[19]
In May 2016,Alibaba Group provided Citizen Lab with updated versions of UC Browser in order to verify their security fixes to these issues. The subsequent update published by Citizen Lab indicated that not all of the previously identified data leaks and privacy breaches had been fixed in UC Browser.[20][21]
In 2017, theCentre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), a scientific research unit within India'sMinistry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), began a technical investigation into the "several major privacy and security vulnerabilities that would seriously expose users of UC Browser to surveillance and other privacy violations" alleged in the report.[22] C-DAC found that the browser (which was the second-most-used browser in India) had been sending user data to Chinese servers and that it retains control over a user's device DNS even after the browser is deleted.[23]
In March 2019, analysts at theanti-malware firmDoctor Web publicly disclosed that UC Browser and UC Browser Mini for Android were downloading and installing extra modules from the company's own servers via an unprotectedHTTP channel.[24] This exposed browser users to potential arbitrary remote code execution if an attacker was able to perform aman-in-the-middle attack to deliver malicious module (but no cases of exploitation were publicly disclosed). Furthermore, this violatesGoogle Play policies that forbid Google Play apps from downloading any executable code from any sources outside of Google Play. In June 2020, a new version of its UC browser was added to the Google Play store with updated settings that comply with the store's security guidelines.[25]
In May 2019, Indian security researcher Arif Khan reported that the URL address bars on the UC Browser and UC Browser Mini apps were susceptible toURL spoofing.[26][27]
In June 2021, it was discovered that the app was recording user data and sending IP addresses to Alibaba servers.[28]
UC Browser gained significant popularity in China, India, and Indonesia in 2012 through 2017 and still retains some popularity in China. In October 2012, UC Browser toppedOpera inGoogle Play's free Android app download category in India for the first time.[29] Google Zeitgeist 2013 showed that the "Most Searched Mobile Apps" in India were dominated by messaging and browsing apps, with WhatsApp and UC Browser topping the rankings for the most searches on mobile in 2013.[30] As of March 2014, UC Browser had over 500 million users, largely in China, India, and Indonesia,[31] and as of 2016 it had more than 100 million monthlyactive users.[32] According to the app analytics firm App Annie, UC Browser was the 8th most downloaded mobile app of the 2010–2019 decade.[33]
However, according to independentweb analytics firm StatCounter, UC Browser had never been the leading browser in China and had never exceeded 20% browser share there. As of March 2021, Google Chrome had 43% browser share, while UC Browser had 18%.[34]
In India UC Browser was the leading browser from October 2013 through June 2017, peaking at 46% browser share. As of March 2021, Google Chrome had 85% browser share, while UC Browser had 4.3% share.[35]
In Indonesia UC Browser was the leading browser from July 2015 much of the time until March 2017, peaking at 51% browser share. As of March 2021, Google Chrome had 81% browser share, while UC Browser had 1.9% share.[36]
In May 2020 India'sNational Security Council recommended that UC Browser and other Chinese-owned apps be blocked due to cyber-security concerns following the2020 China–India skirmishes .[37]
UC Browser was initially launched in April 2004 as aJ2ME-onlyapplication.
The logo of UC Browser was redesigned in 2012, from a cartoon squirrel to a more abstract and stylized squirrel that's more in line with American designs.[38]
In May 2013, UCWeb customized its browser forVodafone's Indian customers.[39]
In August 2013, UC Browser provided distribution channels of companies like AppURL Initiative[40] and partnered with distributorGameloft to sell its products.[41]
In 2013 also it announced a partnership withTrend Micro, under which both companies worked to provide mobile web safety assessments in the browser.[42]
On 26 June 2020, theGovernment of India banned UC Browser, along with 58 other Chinese apps such asTikTok andWeChat, citing data and privacy issues and claiming that it is a "threat to thesovereignty and integrity" of the country.[4][43] Many experts[who?] believe that the move was a retaliation to the2020 China–India skirmishes between India and China.[44]
In March 2021 the browser was removed from several Chinese app stores over a complaint that it was selling misleading medical adverts when searching for hospitals in the browser.[45] It was still available onApple Inc's Chinese app store.[46]
by Experts: Jakub Dalek (lead), Katie Kleemola (lead), Adam Senft (lead), Christopher Parsons, Andrew Hilts, Sarah McKune, Jason Q. Ng, Masashi Crete-Nishihata, John Scott-Railton, Ronald Deibert
The move is part of the tit-for-tat retaliation after the Indian and Chinese militaries clashed earlier this month.
