First it appeared on computers, then it reached iOS, and now it's Android's turn. The team behind the Opera browser has decided to close the circle regarding its free VPN service, and with barely a four-month delay, it makes an appearance on Google's mobile operating system. The value of a free and unlimited VPN is much greater on mobile devices given the enormous amount of open (and insecure) Wi-Fi networks out there, but you always have to pay attention to the fine print...
The temptation to connect to any open Wi-Fi network from a mobile device to access the internet and avoid consuming precious monthly data (assuming it isn't unlimited) is huge, but there are also security and privacy issues we shouldn't ignore. Our article on safe browsing on public networks has aged quite well, and in general, the combination of "ask, observe, distrust" will save you more than a headache. A popular option is to use a VPN service, but most of them require an extra payment, and that doesn't necessarily enable their use on mobile devices. That's where Opera steps in. After presenting a free and unlimited VPN service in its desktop browser, and doing the same on iOS a couple of weeks later, the question lingered: "What about Android?"
Opera VPN arrives on Android
The delay extended four months, but it's finally here: The Opera VPN app was published on the Google Play Store on Monday (that's the day the description indicates), and it's compatible with Android 4.0.3 or higher. Unlike the desktop version, Opera VPN is a standalone app, and it's not necessary (or mandatory) to install the Opera browser itself. In addition to protecting users on open networks, another advantage Opera VPN provides for free is bypassing geo-blocks. Right now, Opera VPN offers traffic redirection via the United States, Germany, Canada, Singapore, and the Netherlands, but it will add other virtual locations soon.
What's the catch?
Now... what's the catch? The words "VPN", "free", and "unlimited" don't combine easily. "If you don't pay, you're the product" and all that. What does Opera get out of all this? How does it finance the service? The folks at SurfEasy explain in detail. First, they confirm that they don't keep any logs (something they did seem to do based on their terms of use last April), but they admit that users will see some ads during their sessions (if they block ads and inject their own, it could cause problems), and that they will collect "anonymized information" available to third parties interested in knowing "how the mobile ecosystem evolves". Here I imagine companies looking to run advertising campaigns at a national or regional level. The rest depends on each user. The links to the app and SurfEasy's statement are below.
