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Opera Adds Free and Unlimited VPN Service To Its Android Browser (venturebeat.com)

Posted by msmash on from the how-about-that dept.

Opera has added a free VPN service to its Android browser. The Norwegian browser maker, which went public last year, also addressed concerns about potential hidden costs of using its free VPN offering. From a report: As users become more cautious about their privacy, many have explored using VPN services. According to a GlobalWebIndex estimate, more than 650 million people worldwide use such tools to mask their identity online and fend off web trackers. Opera has long recognized this need; in 2016, it launched Opera VPN, a standalone VPN app for iOS and Android. A few months later, it baked that feature into its desktop browser. Last year, however, the company discontinued Opera VPN. Now, Opera is integrating the VPN service into its Android browser. Opera 51 for Android enables users to establish a private connection between their mobile device and a remote VPN server using 256-bit encryption. Users can pick a server of their choice from a range of locations. Unlike several other VPN apps, Opera's offering does not require an account to use the service.

4 of 75 comments (clear)

  1. Nice try.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ... I know Opera is owned by a Chinese company and this is just some scheme to redirect traffic to packet sniffers.

  2. Free lunch? by Camarillo+Brillo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Ain't no such thang. There are no altruistic software companies. You won't pay for this "VPN", but it will cost you something, like privacy. And yes, all Chinese companies are controlled by the Red State, similar to the way the US government is controlled by mega corporations. Screw China, Free Tibet!

  3. When something is free, you are the product. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The questions are, what are they selling and who are they selling it to?

  4. Re: Doesn't do shit. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "Random people can get a subpoena on a Chinese/European company as easy as that, can they?"

    Not random people. Agents of repressive authoritarian regimes. Yes, they can easily get a badlawful order to snoop anyone anytime for any or no reason. Europe is not exactly a bastion of freedom these days.