Clarify possible Brave Search TOS violation

[Ovid]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

When I installed the Brave Search MCP Server, I had to provide an API key. I signed up for the free plan and when I applied for an API key, I had to agree to the following (emphasis mine):

By subscribing to this plan, you agree to abide by the Terms of Use ("Terms of Use"). These Terms of Use prohibit using responses for AI inference, as well as storing, modifying, re-using, or re-selling the responses you receive from the API, and include other provisions that affect your use of the API. It is important that you read and agree to the Terms of Use in full before subscribing to this plan.

I've used this MCP server and other tools to build a local Perplexity replacement, but now I think I need to switch to another search API.

Note that their published API terms of service does not contain this restriction and I cannot find it on their web site aside from when I first signed up for this.

At least one other person has noted this issue.

(I suspect that the storage provision also makes this more complicated)

Describe the solution you'd like

I'd like clarification on whether this MCP server can be used without violating Brave Search's TOS.

Describe alternatives you've considered

I should switch to another search engine API to avoid this concern.

[jonathansampson]

Great question, @Ovid. I'm Sampson, from the Brave team. If you check https://brave.com/search/api/, you'll find that we offer 2 free account types. The first is Data for Search, where AI inference is not permitted. The second is Data for AI, where AI inference is explicitly permitted.

[Ovid]

Thank you, @jonathansampson. I hope that the information for the MCP server is updated to clarify this. I'll make the switch and keep using Brave Search. Very happy with it so far.

[Ovid]

@jonathansampson Aside from the "extra alternate snippets for AI," is there any difference between the two set of search results?

[jonathansampson]

@Ovid They should be largely, if not entirely similar. If you run into any particular issues or have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out :)