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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.

18 of 75 comments (clear)

  1. Bandwidth? by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If many people use Opera VPN, the browsers speed will be a problem (unless they have many many servers, which is doubtful for a free VPN).

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    1. Re:Bandwidth? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      If many people use Opera VPN, the browsers speed will be a problem (unless they have many many servers, which is doubtful for a free VPN).

      The VPN is very slow for me.

    2. Re:Bandwidth? by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Informative

      The VPN is ad free, the browser isn't. I was happy with Opera Mobile for a while, until an upgrade put a "News" Screen that I couldn't disable.
      This "News" Screen was populated with click-bait articles, which I would expect are full of Ad's that I am willing to bet Opera got some cut on the action.
      I am actually surprised that Opera is still in the business. From its early days of being a fast and light browser which may had gained some traction if it were free to most users, and later versions which were Ad Supported, filled up a lot of your screen, imagine on a 640x480 screen having 1/4 of the screen filled with ads.

       

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  2. Still chinese by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Who trust in russian/chinese software?

    1. Re:Still chinese by hermank · · Score: 2

      Is Opera a company controlled Chinese government? If Yes, Thanks, I don't think I need that.

    2. Re:Still chinese by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Maybe, but Opera is owned by a Chines company. That means any vpn service they provide is untrustable.
      https://www.engadget.com/2016/07/18/opera-browser-sold-to-a-chinese-consortium-for-600-million/

    3. Re:Still chinese by lrichardson · · Score: 2

      What? You mean like how Qihoo 360's 'Secure Browser' turned out to have a backdoor built in? Or that a couple of reports indicate false flag operations using email accounts and passwords through Opera ... *only* ... (since the acquisition) have been used by hackers? Or that Google, Mozilla, etc no longer accept certificates from StartCom, which was also acquired (indirectly) by Qihoo?

    4. Re: Still chinese by aliquis · · Score: 2

      Same for the US and EU so you have no point.

  3. 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.

  4. Doesn't do shit. by GrandCow · · Score: 4, Informative

    If you want to stay anonymous, "use a VPN" is only good advice if the VPN doesn't keep logs of which IP accesses which sites.

    That's like saying "have a condom handy when you're having sex." It doesn't do any fucking good if you just look at it while you're raw-dogging the woman.

    A VPN that keeps logs is just making your internet slower because you're bottlenecking through it. If you are worried that someone is going to trace you, they can do so with the same legal paperwork and subpoena's that they can use to trace all the rest of your IP traffic. The one Opera is offering is worthless, unless all you care about is watching Netflix shows from a different country.

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    1. Re:Doesn't do shit. by xonen · · Score: 2

      This is totally true. However, sometimes it's better than nothing. It will stop certain websites from gathering 'personal' info.And iIt might stop certain private parties from collecting your data, for example when sharing linux distro torrents.

      Norway is a European country. However, it is not part of the EU (European Union). Hence you'd have to investigate the Norwegian law to determinate what they are required to log by law and under what conditions this data can be requested by (foreign) law enforcement authorities.

      If it was a EU based company it certainly would raise some red flags. As EU demands both 'privacy' and extensive logging at the same time from it's companies. Being Norwegian it certainly would put up an extra threshold at least for us EU citizens.

      Personally, I might use such service as it's convenient and better than nothing. But i'd also recommend anyone to have one- or more- payed VPN subscriptions with contractual guarantees if you're about to do something that's possibly not 100% legal in your or the hosts' area of the world, or is perfectly legal but in case you'd still like to protect your privacy. Obviously, i use my VPN only for legal purposes.

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    2. Re:Doesn't do shit. by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Opera's VPN isn't worthless.

      If you are worried that someone is going to trace you, they can do so with the same legal paperwork and subpoena's that they can use to trace all the rest of your IP traffic.

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

      The primary use for Opera's VPN will be unsecured wifi. You get off the plane, you don't have a local SIM, and the airport has free wifi. The hotel has free wifi. McDonalds has free wifi. And none of it is encrypted.

      Using Opera's VPN effectively hides your IP address from most of the sites you visit too. They are not going to go out and get a subpoena just so they can geolocate your real IP address, even if it was legally possible to do so. It will also nicely bypass your ISP's blocks, in case you want to access SciHub or The Pirate Bay or whatever.

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    3. 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.

  5. 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!

  6. Chinese, not Norwegian... by PhotoGuy · · Score: 5, Informative

    > The Norwegian browser maker,

    Really? That seems a bit, errr, disingenuous. Maybe even misleading.

    https://www.engadget.com/2016/...

    After a $1.2 billion deal fell through, Opera has sold most of itself to a Chinese consortium for $600 million. The buyers, led by search and security firm Qihoo 360, are purchasing Opera's browser business, its privacy and performance apps, its tech licensing and, most importantly, its name. The Norwegian company will keep its consumer division, including Opera Apps & Games and Opera TV.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    Opera Ltd. is publicly listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange [8], with majority ownership and control belonging to Chinese Businessman Yahui Zhou, creator of Beijing Kunlun Tech[9] which specialises in mobile games and cybersecurity specialist Qihoo 360.

    If you want to send all your traffic through a Chinese VPN, go ahead, but at least be aware who ultimately controls Opera. The fact it's explicitly pitched as "Norwegian" seems suspicious. Could be a trap. :)

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  7. 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?

  8. Know your enemy by Pyramid · · Score: 2

    If you don't trust or can't verify the practices of the VPN end-point provider, using their VPN is *WORSE* than not using it. You are funneling all your traffic to a convenient end point. People need to understand this.

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  9. Opera is a shadow of its former self by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 4, Informative

    Opera was bought out by the Chinese. They no longer make their own browser; it's Chrome with a skin. Most of the old Opera staff moved on to Vivaldi. If you want the old Opera back, Vivaldi is the closest thing you'll get.

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