Redcore
{{Short description|Freeware web browser based on Chromium}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}{{use British English|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox web browser
| name = Redcore
红芯浏览器
| logo = Redcore Browser Logo.png
| logo size = 180px
| screenshot = Redcore Browser Screenshot.jpg
| caption = Redcore on Windows 10
| developer = Redcore Times (Beijing) Technology Ltd.
红芯时代（北京）科技有限公司
| released = 3 August 2018
| latest release version = 49.1.2623.213
| latest release date = 3 August 2018
| operating system = Microsoft Windows, Android, iOS, Linux
| size = 398 MB
| engines = {{ubl
| Blink
| WebKit (iOS only){{cite web|editor=Apple|title=App Store Review Guidelines|url=https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/|website=developer.apple.com|date=2018-06-04|access-date=2018-08-20|language=en|url-status=live|archive-date=2018-08-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820081646/https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/}}
}}
| language = Chinese
| genre = Web browser
| license = Freeware
| website = {{URL|https://browser.redcore.cn/}}
}}
Redcore ({{lang-zh|s=红芯浏览器|l=red core browser}})Official website: {{Cite web|url=https://browser.redcore.cn/|title=红芯国产浏览器|access-date=2018-08-16}}, where it shows that the browser is named "Redcore Browser" ({{lang-zh|红芯浏览器}}), and the browser engine is "Redcore" ({{lang-zh|红芯内核}}) is a web browser developed by Chinese company Redcore Times (Beijing) Technology Ltd. based on Chromium and uses the Blink browser engine.
History
On 15 August 2018, Redcore Times (Beijing) Technology Ltd. announced that it had raised 250 million RMB in its series C funding round from venture capital investors, including Morningside Venture Capital, Fortune Venture Capital, and IDG Capital.{{Cite web|url=http://companies.caixin.com/2018-08-16/101315451.html|title="国产"浏览器红芯融资2.5亿元 谷歌内核遭曝光|date=2018-08-16|author=覃敏|editor=王影|website=财新网|language=zh-hans|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816144000/http://companies.caixin.com/2018-08-16/101315451.html|archive-date=2018-08-16|url-status=live|access-date=2018-08-16}}{{cite web|url=https://www.chinamoneynetwork.com/2018/08/15/dealshot-idg-capital-joins-36m-round-in-chinese-browser-developer-redcore|title=DealShot: IDG Capital Joins $36M Round In Chinese Browser Developer Redcore|website=China Money Network|date=2018-08-15|access-date=2018-08-16|language=en|author=Katherine Guo|url-status=live|archive-date=2018-08-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816173053/https://www.chinamoneynetwork.com/2018/08/15/dealshot-idg-capital-joins-36m-round-in-chinese-browser-developer-redcore}}
At the time of financing, the company marketed Redcore as a "100pc China-developed browser" and claimed that it used the "Redcore" browser engine developed in-house.{{Cite web|url=http://tech.ifeng.com/a/20180815/45120894_0.shtml|title=自主研发国产浏览器内核 红芯宣布获2.5亿融资|date=2018-08-15|website=凤凰网科技|publisher=快科技|language=zh-hans|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816142852/http://tech.ifeng.com/a/20180815/45120894_0.shtml|archive-date=2018-08-16|url-status=live|access-date=2018-08-16}}
On 16 August 2018, after Redcore was revealed to be based on Chromium, Redcore Times (Beijing) Technology Ltd. responded that the project did not solicit state funds in its previous round of funding.{{cite web|url=https://news.china.com/socialgd/10000169/20180816/33594010.html|title=红芯浏览器回应：没有拿国家基金|website=中华网|publisher=财经网|date=2018-08-16|access-date=2018-08-16|language=zh-hans|url-status=live|archive-date=2018-08-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816141248/https://news.china.com/socialgd/10000169/20180816/33594010.html}}
Controversies
= Chromium plagiarism scandal =
On 16 August 2018, Chinese social media users disclosed that the Redcore installer, when fully decompressed, contained similar files and directories as the installer for Google Chrome.{{refn|{{Cite web|url=http://tech.qq.com/a/20180816/053009.htm|title=新京报评论：红芯浏览器是"站在巨人的肩膀上打包"吧！|author=陈迪|date=2018-08-16|editor=新吾|website=腾讯网|publisher=新京报|language=zh-hans|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816140652/http://tech.qq.com/a/20180816/053009.htm|archive-date=2018-08-16|url-status=live|access-date=2018-08-16}}{{Cite web|url=https://news.mydrivers.com/1/590/590994.htm|title=号称自主内核国产红芯浏览器融资2.5亿：其实是Chrome套个壳|author=上方文Q|date=2018-08-16|website=新闻中心 ——快科技(原驱动之家)|language=zh-hans|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816140838/https://news.mydrivers.com/1/590/590994.htm|archive-date=2018-08-16|url-status=live|access-date=2018-08-16}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/90eea77a-a11e-11e8-85da-eeb7a9ce36e4|title=Chinese start-up under fire for using GoogleChrome files|author=Sherry Fei Ju|date=2018-08-16|website=Financial Times|language=en|access-date=2018-10-18|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20181018095026/https://www.ft.com/content/90eea77a-a11e-11e8-85da-eeb7a9ce36e4|archive-date=2018-10-18}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/16/chinese-firm-touting-innovative-software-used-parts-of-google-code.html|author=Arjun Kharpal|title=Chinese firm touting 'innovative' software to beat US rivals is found using parts of Google's code|website=CNBC|date=2018-08-16|access-date=2018-08-16|language=en|url-status=live|archive-date=2018-08-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816164517/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/16/chinese-firm-touting-innovative-software-used-parts-of-google-code.html}}{{cite web|url=https://technode.com/2018/08/16/redcore-china-chrome-knock-off/|title="100% China developed" browser engine turns out to be a Chromium fork|website=TechNode|date=2018-08-16|access-date=2018-08-16|language=en|author=Jiefei Liu|url-status=live|archive-date=2018-08-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816175717/https://technode.com/2018/08/16/redcore-china-chrome-knock-off/}}{{cite web|url=https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/redcore-browser-exposed-have-google-chromes-code-after-raising-usd36-million-funds|title=Redcore Browser Exposed to Have Google Chrome's Code After Raising USD36 Million in Funds|website=Yicai Global|author=Liao Shumin|date=2018-08-16|access-date=2018-08-16|language=en|url-status=live|archive-date=2018-08-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816180126/https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/redcore-browser-exposed-have-google-chromes-code-after-raising-usd36-million-funds}}{{cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/2160072/redcore-ceo-admits-100pc-china-developed-browser-built-googles-chrome-says|title=Redcore CEO admits '100pc China-developed browser' is built on Google's Chrome, says writing code from scratch would 'take many years'|website=South China Morning Post|date=2018-08-17|access-date=2018-08-17|language=en|author=Sarah Dai|url-status=live|archive-date=2018-08-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817065421/https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/2160072/redcore-ceo-admits-100pc-china-developed-browser-built-googles-chrome-says}}}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.caixinglobal.com/2018-08-16/chinas-first-fully-homegrown-browser-actually-based-on-googles-chrome-101315640.html|title=Update: 'First Fully Homegrown' Browser Outed as Based on Google's Chrome|website=Caixin Global|author1=Ye Zhanqi|author2=Mo Yelin|language=en|date=2018-08-16|access-date=2018-08-20|url-status=live|archive-date=2018-08-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820095155/https://www.caixinglobal.com/2018-08-16/chinas-first-fully-homegrown-browser-actually-based-on-googles-chrome-101315640.html}}
After the disclosure, media outlets including Sina accused Redcore of plagiarism and criticized the company for marketing a "Chrome-shell browser" ({{lang-zh|Chrome套壳浏览器}}) as a domestic product developed completely in-house.{{Cite web|url=http://tech.sina.com.cn/csj/2018-08-16/doc-ihhtfwqs0816611.shtml|title=这款"自主国产"浏览器 再次演绎"科技以换壳为本"|author=硅星人|date=2018-08-16|website=新浪科技|publisher=创事记|language=zh-hans|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816141231/http://tech.sina.com.cn/csj/2018-08-16/doc-ihhtfwqs0816611.shtml|archive-date=2018-08-16|url-status=live|access-date=2018-08-16}}{{cite web|url=https://www.chinamoneynetwork.com/2018/08/16/company-claims-to-produce-chinas-first-wed-browser-system-but-its-actually-a-chrome-shell|language=en|title=Company Claims To Produce China's First Web Browser System, But It's Actually A Chrome Shell|website=China Money Network|date=2018-08-16|access-date=2018-08-16|url-status=live|author=Nina Xiang|archive-date=2018-08-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816164637/https://www.chinamoneynetwork.com/2018/08/16/company-claims-to-produce-chinas-first-wed-browser-system-but-its-actually-a-chrome-shell}}
Chen Benfeng, the CEO of Redcore Times (Beijing) Technology Ltd., defended the product by describing three additional features of Redcore that were not present in Google Chrome.{{Cite web|url=http://tech.sina.com.cn/i/2018-08-16/doc-ihhvciiw1066941.shtml|title=专访红芯陈本峰:不爽被"套壳" 所做产品有价值|author=韩大鹏|date=2018-08-16|website=新浪科技|language=zh-hans|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816141534/http://tech.sina.com.cn/i/2018-08-16/doc-ihhvciiw1066941.shtml|archive-date=2018-08-16|url-status=live|access-date=2018-08-16}}
By the end of 16 August, Redcore was no longer available for download from the company's website.
Company co-founder Gao Jing told the China News Service that although the web browser is based on the open-source resources from Chrome, "it still uses domestic core technology and has other innovative elements".
Gao said the browser was removed from the company's website to conduct "urgent technology checks".
On 17 August 2018, Redcore Times (Beijing) Technology Ltd. issued an apology announcement disclosing that Redcore is a browser engine based on Chromium.{{cite web|url=http://www.bjnews.com.cn/finance/2018/08/17/499920.html|title=红芯浏览器致歉：宣传夸大 不应特别强调国产自主|website=新京报网|date=2018-08-17|access-date=2018-08-17|language=zh-hans|url-status=live|archive-date=2018-08-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817084456/http://www.bjnews.com.cn/finance/2018/08/17/499920.html}}