Is OperaVPN safe to use? Read this before you buy it!
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Home » VPN » Is OperaVPN Safe? We tested it for you!
Over the past few years, Opera VPN has been slowly gaining popularity, and VPN has been a topic of discussion on websites like Reddit for some time. Many people may be familiar with the Opera web browser, which is made by the same company. A VPN should give you peace of mind and security, but we sure did some tests to see if Opera VPN is really secure.
Security: What security tools are included?
Security is the most important part of any VPN (other than the privacy policy). We have done a full review of this VPN, which you can read about here. But for now, let’s take a look at the security tools and features that are available.
encryption protocol
Opera VPN is similar to the majority of other VPNs out there in that it uses the 256-bit AES encryption protocol. AES, which is an abbreviation for Advanced Encryption Standard, by both government and military organizations to protect their most sensitive data.
Many other VPNs make use of AES encryption, such as ExpressVPN And NordVPN. It is one of the most secure encryption protocols, so you can rest assured that Opera VPN can keep your data at least somewhat secure.
kill switch
Most VPNs also use a kill switch, and Opera VPN is no exception. Essentially, a kill switch will terminate your internet connection if your VPN service falters, or experiences a connection drop.
This helps to Protecting your personal information from the prying eyes of cybercriminals. Again, this is another standard feature, so far, Opera VPN doesn’t do anything special.
IP and DNS leak protection
Opera VPN IPv4 and IPv6, plus DNS leak protection, to ensure that any of your identifiable data remains safe and secure. This is important because cybercriminals are developing new ways to track this sensitive information.
Opera VPN Privacy Policy: The Most Important Security Standard
While VPNs are designed and marketed Keep your data safe When browsing online, some VPNs store information they collect from your internet traffic and sell it to third parties, such as advertising companies. Is Opera VPN one of these VPNs?
Opera has been just as smart about its privacy statement as most companies, and websites like Reddit have debated about the reliability of that statement. Opera claims that they don’t have any feasible ways to get to know their users.
But, certain categories of data they collect when using their services and apps may be considered “personal data” by law. Opera acts as a “data collector” when it collects personal data.
Different Opera services and apps collect different pieces of information, and the reasons for doing so vary across services and apps. Opera only processes certain information when it is sent to them from a user, which is what they call “User Provided Data“.
When you install the Opera app (ie the browser), Opera generates a random install ID. They can then collect that identifier, along with your operating system and environment configuration, your device identifier, hardware specifications, and feature usage data.
The company claims to use this information for some legitimate business purposes, Such as customizing its apps and services, troubleshooting, preventing abuse and security breaches, etc.
While all of this may sound good, Opera’s privacy policy takes a quick turn, under the “Personalized ads” section. This section stated that depending on the general location of Opera users and their advertising identifiers, some of their mobile apps may display targeted ads.
These ads are provided by the monetization partners of Opera. Unfortunately, this means that Opera Likely to sell your information to third party advertisers. They can then use it to create targeted ads based on your personal information.
Big VPN companies like NordVPN and ExpressVPN have a much larger user base. They do not store and distribute any of your information. Opera underperforms in this regard.
External Audit: Is Opera VPN Safe?
While Oprah has not received any outside audit, the company’s independent director is Laurie Wheeler Nice. Nice has been a Board Member since 2018. Prior to joining Opera, she was Director of Technical at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global company that provides auditing services. While it’s great that Opera has a former auditor on its team, that doesn’t mean it has been audited externally.
External audits are important, as they are essentially two other eyes on the company. External auditors make sure that VPNs live up to their commitments and promises of service. A VPN is trustworthy and secure if it passes an external audit. Unfortunately, Opera VPN didn’t do that.
Scandals the company has faced in the past
In January of 2021, Opera expanded to include money lending services in India, Kenya, and Nigeria. Google claimed that this violates its rules against short-term loans.
Prior to this expansion, Google Android Apps for Short Term Loans Prohibited from Play Store. The company claimed that this decision was to protect people from personal loan terms bordering on extortion.
Under these rules, borrowers are required to provide at least 60 days to repay their loans. They must clearly disclose interest rates and a representative example of the total loan cost.
Opera continued to defend its products and claimed to have provided more than 60 days of necessary payment options. Opera does not deny the fact that it lends money via its apps. The company advocates the “microlending” business as useful and practical in places where credit cards are scarce.
The lending apps run by Opera impress potential customers with competitive loan rates. Once borrowers enter their personal information, applications either grant short-term loans at very high rates or reject borrowers entirely.
Annual percentage rates were 730% in case of late payments by borrowers On some applications, and 365 percent to pay on time.
Conclusion: Opera VPN cannot be trusted
While on the surface, Opera VPN may seem like a useful free VPN software, there are a lot of negatives that potential users should be aware of. The lack of security features and external audits make this VPN generally unreliable.
We highly recommend that you check out some high-quality VPN options. Our favorite is ExpressVPN. It has all the protocols and features that a great VPN should have. Find out more on this topic below:
Meet the most secure VPN: ExpressVPN>
Thalia has been in the online tech industry for over two years, after studying computer science at university. Her main focus is on VPNs, online privacy and security.
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