Is Opera VPN Safe?

Opera is a web browser available for Windows, Linux, MacOS, Android, and iOS. Unlike most mainstream browsers, it claims to include a free, built-in VPN that increases your privacy, security and freedom online.

To activate the VPN feature, you simply need to open up the browser and navigate to Menu > Settings > Privacy > VPN and enable it. An icon will appear in the address bar displaying your VPN status.

You can choose between three vague server locations in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. There’s no further information on where exactly these servers are located or how many servers are in Opera’s network.

When you use Opera VPN, only traffic from within the Opera browser will go through the VPN servers. Anything you do outside the browser – such as torrenting or watching Netflix via another app – will remain unprotected.

Opera’s service is therefore not actually a full VPN. A proper VPN encrypts and protects all of your internet activity, not just what is sent within the browser.

Instead, Opera VPN is more of a secure proxy service that spoofs your location by hiding your IP address. It’s better than most proxies because it actually encrypts your data, but it won’t offer the same kind of comprehensive privacy and protection that a full VPN offers.

So, given that Opera VPN isn’t really a full VPN, is it still safe to use?

Opera VPN is not a safe service. It misleadingly advertises itself as a VPN, has an invasive privacy policy, and lacks any form of tunneling protocol. For these reasons, we cannot recommend Opera VPN as a safe and secure VPN solution.

In 2016, Opera’s synchronization service was hacked. More than 1.7 million users had sensitive information such as passwords and login details exposed during the incident.

More recently, a number of users have complained that their real IP addresses are being leaked while using Opera VPN.

The rest of this guide will take a more detailed look at the safety, privacy, and security of using Opera VPN. Alternatively, if you just want to find a free VPN that’ll reliably hide your IP address and keep you safe online, check out our recommendations for the best free VPNs in 2020.

Strong AES-256 Encryption but No VPN Protocol

Opera VPN uses the ultra-secure AES-256 encryption cipher to protect all of the data sent through the browser. However, it doesn’t feature a tunneling protocol like OpenVPN or IKEv2, which you would expect from a VPN. Instead, it just uses the standard TLS encryption protocol, which is also used on HTTPS websites.

While the encryption ciphers used are secure, Opera VPN provides no additional security over a free plugin like HTTPS Everywhere. Also, because it is a browser-based service, it will not encrypt any traffic from outside of the Opera Browser, such as a separate email application.

No Data Leaks but Very Few Security Features

There is very little information given about Opera’s security features, probably because they are practically non-existent.

Not only does Opera VPN lack VPN protocols, it also doesn’t support Perfect Forward Secrecy or use a VPN kill switch to safeguard your privacy when the connection drops. Opera VPN also appears to provide little-to-no protection against IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks.

Despite this, our latest round of testing showed absolutely no data leaks while using Opera VPN. This is a good start, but we’d like to see Opera introduce a range of additional security features to make sure it remains leak-free.

Opera’s Invasive Logging Policy

One of the most worrying aspects of Opera VPN is the company’s intrusive privacy policy, which makes clear its reliance on third-party data processors.

Opera makes money by selling your data onto third parties.

This isn’t unusual, since many free online services make money by selling user information to third-party advertisers. However, using a VPN service is all about protecting your privacy, so Opera’s logging policy conflicts with that completely.

The privacy policy also dramatically undermines any benefit you get from encrypting browser traffic. Some of the third parties Opera shares your browsing data with include Google and Facebook, which are two of the most privacy-unfriendly companies in the world.

As for the VPN service itself, the most notable thing about Opera’s privacy policy is that it is hardly mentioned. The policy only states: “We do not log any information related to your browsing activity or originating network address” when you use Opera VPN.

This would be encouraging if true, but we would like to see the service undergo an independent audit before we can trust such a claim. Other VPN providers, like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, have submitted to these third-party audits – it’s an excellent way to build trust within the VPN community.

Based In a ‘Nine-Eyes’ Jurisdiction

For maximum privacy and safety, a VPN’s jurisdiction is also worth considering. Depending on where the service provider is located, it could be subject to extreme surveillance or data retention laws.

Opera Software is based in Norway, which is a member of the Nine Eyes intelligence sharing agreement. This means its jurisdiction is less than ideal when it comes to preserving internet privacy and anonymity.

That said, given Opera’s intrusive logging policy and minimal array of security features, its jurisdiction is somewhat of a moot point anyway. There are plenty of safer alternatives to Opera VPN which are still based in non-privacy-friendly jurisdictions, such as Private Internet Access and IPVanish.

You Can Sign Up for Opera VPN Anonymously

One privacy advantage Opera VPN does offer is that you do not need to sign up to use the service. This means there is no need to provide your email address, payment information, or any other personally identifiable information before you start using it.

This is better than the vast majority of VPNs, where you need to create an account or register payment information in order to use the product.

Nonetheless, Opera’s intrusive privacy policy means the browser can collect information that can easily be used to trace your activity back to you. In reality, the lack of a sign-up process is a convenience and a small anonymity boost, but nothing more.

Opera VPN Pros & Cons

PROS	CONS
Free Anonymous sign-up process AES-256 encryption No data leaks Unblocks Netflix US Very easy to use	Intrusive logging policy Small server network Only secures browser-based traffic No VPN protocol Doesn’t use a kill switch Dangerous jurisdiction (Nine Eyes)