General reliability, security and privacy of Opera
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TheCelticCross last edited byI‘m really liking to use Opera for its modern design, fantastic features and nice performance.
But I‘ve also read and heard some worrying stuff about it.
I know that Opera has been refuting all these allegations as wrong and misleading.
Yet, I wonder if there‘s some neutral and serious review of the browser from an independent side which would calm any worries.. And yes, I‘ve read through the privacy statement. -
leocg Moderator Volunteer last edited by
@TheCelticCross What would be those allegations? They are from any reliable source?
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TheCelticCross last edited by TheCelticCross
@leocg Thank you for responding. I think of so many reviews and videos by people, who highlight the Chinese owners and massive data collection.
I actually don't know how serious they are. As one example from Germany, my home country, I could name Kuketz Blog, claiming that Opera is the outright contrast to privacy
https://www.kuketz-blog.de/opera-datensendeverhalten-desktop-version-browser-check-teil13/You will probably have heard about other examples as well.
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leocg Moderator Volunteer last edited by
@TheCelticCross Never saw any of those articles, I only keep seeing people posting here and there asking if Opera is really safe because they heard somewhere that Opera is owned by Chinese and all Chinese companies are spies of the government and, because of that, users information is sent to China, what doesn't make any sense.
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pilis00 last edited by@leocg said in General reliability, security and privacy of Opera:
all Chinese companies are spies of the government
I've had enough to hear people saying that. Google Chrome who is American and owned by Google, doesn't spy? Let's be honest.
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TheCelticCross last edited by TheCelticCross
@leocg I've read the most recent artikel on pockpc.ch, a Suisse tech magazine: https://www.pocketpc.ch/magazin/editorial/beste-browser-handy-97559/#opera_millionen_schweres_marketing_und_verkauf_nach_china
The part about Opera reads (English translation by Aria, highlights by me:
"Opera: Millions in Heavy Marketing and Sales to ChinaAt Opera, we need to take a step back, because many people here don't have some very important points on their radar, but let's first work through the technical aspects. Just like Chrome and Brave, Opera is also based on the Google Chromium engine. This makes the browser fast in loading websites and allows it to use some extensions from the Chrome Store. By the way, a free VPN service is integrated, as well as messengers from different platforms.
So you can easily work with messengers like WhatsApp in the left sidebar via the browser without installing any additional programs. A practical option is also one that can significantly reduce the data traffic of websites and thus load them faster. Mobile devices, particularly mobile phones, benefit from lower data consumption.
Opera and the China Case are Particularly Critical The majority of Opera's shares are held by the Chinese company Kunlun Tech, which is obliged to transfer data to authorities under the Chinese National Intelligence Law. This raises concerns about data security, especially since the integrated VPN only acts as a proxy without full encryption and stores connection data. This ultimately ends up on Chinese servers.
In addition, ownership influences editorial content (e.g., censorship of critical China reports in the Opera News app), which is currently a topic in Africa, in particular. The dependence on Kunlun Tech leads to compromises and very limited transparency. As you could see in the past, especially on YouTube, the manufacturer launched a huge influencer marketing strategy to further distribute the browser. Particularly among gamers, the gaming browser Opera GX should gain a foothold.
Please click here to accept marketing cookies and activate this content Video: The Morpheus
Why you should also avoid Opera in our eyes is shown quite clearly in the video above by the IT security specialist Morpheus.
Some Advantages at a Glance:
High speed through Chromium on Android Great functionality with many integrated tools, also with AI Free VPN without data limit. Modern interface on all platforms Some Disadvantages at a Glance:
Chinese ownership (Kunlun Tech) raises data protection questions. Manipulated content of the news app depending on the region. VPN acts more like a proxy and delivers data to Chinese servers. Fewer extensions than Chrome or Firefox."
