SAN FRANCISCO: BitTorrent wants to take the internet in to a new direction with its new browser, Maelstrom, which will run on the BitTorrent protocol. The web browser is in the closed alpha testing phase currently but the development team wants it to solve several problems the internet is facing at the moment including privacy, efficiency and openness.
BitTorrent, the company based in San Francisco, carries a forceful mission statement, “to build a better Internet. To work with people, industries and nations to create better ways to move information. Better ways for creators to make money. New ways for fans to engage, on their terms. Ways to sustain the stuff we share. The Internet promised us this much. And we promise to make good on it.”
Project Maelstrom is still in the very early stages so whether a P2P-based browser will work remains to be seen. It’s unclear how the company even plans to monetize it, because when TechCrunch asked about advertisements, a spokesperson replied that it’s “Too early to tell.” Still, this isn’t BitTorrent’s first foray outside torrent clients.