Yandex has a new arsenal of privacy tools for its web browser

Russia’s Yandex has added a suite of new privacy centric features to an experimental browser it unveiled last year, as well as now switching the software from alpha to beta — and making it its default browser for international users. The software giant took the wraps off the minimalist browser last November, dubbing it a “concept” and offering it alongside its extant Yandex.Browser. It’s now saying the concept will be the mainstream version it offers in international markets — although existing users of the older browser can carry on as is. However in its largest market Russia, and select other regional markets, it will continue to maintain the concept browser as an experimental alternative — and its older browser remains in place as the primary offering there. A Yandex spokesman said this is because in markets where it provides its core services (namely search and recommendations) it needs to know more about users, so switching to a private version completely would erode its quality of service. But, in international markets, it’s freer to experiment with offering private browsing as a lure to drive usage (and better compete with data-harvesting behemoth Google).