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Opera Free VPN Browser with Ad Blocker

May 6, 2016

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Using the new Opera free VPN, the public will now be able to avoid further online browsing privacy issues with the NSA breathing down their neck.

In late April, Opera released to developers, a beta edition of the browser with an integrated unlimited free virtual private network. This beta version 38.0.2213.0 of Opera adds a newVPN feature that offers 256-bit encryption from SurfEasy. SurfEasy is a Canadian virtual private network service which protects users’ online identities to browse the internet privately and anonymously. SurfEasy is Operas first security acquisition that now allows anonymous browsing and ad-blocking into its product lineup.

The new VPN feature offers 256-bit encryption. “To activate the VPN in the developer version of the Opera browser, click the “O” menu, select “Settings” (or “Preferences” on Mac), choose “Privacy & Security” then toggle the free VPN on. “An icon will appear in the browser address field, from which you can see and change your location, check whether your IP is exposed and review how much data you have consumed through the VPN servers.

As a developer, I was able to download and install this new edition on my Mac OS X. And by following the instructions provided, I did indeed observe the VPN logo in the browser address field. The drop down menu allows for virtual locations in the United States, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands. The VPN feature hides your actual public IP address and replaces it with a geographic virtual one.

The Next Step in Browsers

“Bringing this important privacy improvement marks another step in building a browser that matches up to people’s expectations in 2016.” says Krystian Kolondra, SVP, Opera.

While using this feature through the Opera browser, the VPN connection redirects the traffic to its servers, which slightly slows down the browsing experience. Overall, the decrease in speed you get through a VPN encryption tunnel has a slight noticeable affect on internet usage. When this edition is finally released in six to eight weeks, Opera may gain more market share on the heels of other browsers such as Safari, Chrome, and Firefox.