Hi Opera users!

We are excited to announce that we have successfully completed an independent audit of our no-log policy for Opera’s free browser VPN available on Opera, Opera GX, and Opera for Android and iOS. The audit was conducted by Deloitte – an independent and respected auditor of several trusted VPN providers – and the result certifies that your data is not logged or stored when you use the VPN.

Privacy and trust are some of the most important factors when users choose online products and services. Opera has recognized this for a long time, which is why we’ve been the first to introduce built-in privacy features that help users protect themselves online. Our free browser VPN is one of the key tools we make available to our users for this purpose.

When you install Opera’s browsers, you have access to our free browser VPN out of the box – there is no need for registering, or for providing any data about yourself. When activated, the service protects the browser by routing your connection through a secure, encrypted tunnel to Opera’s servers and from there to the internet, disguising your location at the same time. This way, websites have no way of knowing who you are or where you are visiting from.

Why is a no-log policy important?

For a VPN service to fully protect your privacy, it must also be no-log. This means that the server routing the traffic must not log nor store any data about your activity or where you are connecting from – so that not even the company providing the VPN service can know what you are doing. When you use a VPN, you want to be sure that your browsing is your business, and yours alone. Opera’s free browser VPN works exactly like that – it’s a no-log service that holds no data about your activity. 

Our Privacy Statement already makes this clear. Having said that, we recognize that when you read our Privacy Statement and choose to use our products, you place your trust in us. So in order to back up our claims, we turned to the experts. 

Deloitte is a respected auditor with a long history, and has conducted no-log audits of several trusted VPN providers. Deloitte’s proven technical expertise and methodical approach made them the ideal auditor to review our VPN service.

What was tested

For testing purposes, we granted Deloitte access to our free browser VPN infrastructure for Desktop, Android, and iOS, from 18 June to 10 August 2024. Deloitte’s team ran through a series of tests that included:

• Inspection of Opera’s VPN infrastructure and IT systems
• Review of server configuration and deployment process
• Review of relevant system descriptions, documentation, and policies provided by Opera
• Review of Opera’s Privacy Statement
• Inquiries with relevant Opera employees

Upon completion of all testing, Deloitte reported the following: “Based on the procedures performed and the evidence obtained, in our opinion, the configuration of IT systems and management of the supporting IT operations was suitably designed and implemented, in all material respects, based on the criteria described in Opera’s Management Assertion, as of 10th August 2024.”

Our Management Assertion, included in the report, states, among other things: “There is no data logging functionality built into the VPN service, and no data whatsoever is collected about users’ browsing activity, browsing history, originating network address, or other identifying information.”

Was VPN Pro part of the audit?

VPN Pro is also a no-log service. However, VPN Pro servers are provided in collaboration with Nord, which has already been audited for its no-log policy and is a trusted VPN provider. Unlike VPN Pro, Opera’s free browser VPN uses Opera’s own server infrastructure, which is now covered by this audit.

What this means for you

Simply put, it means that when you use our free browser VPN, you can be confident that we don’t collect any data about your activity in the browser, for any purpose. No matter which Opera browser you use (Opera, Opera GX, or Opera for Android or iOS), your browsing is completely anonymous and encrypted, so no one can see which websites you visit or what you are doing – not your ISP, not the router administrator at your favorite cafe, not even Opera.

Third-party reviews and audits are a valuable tool that users can benefit from when choosing a trustworthy VPN provider. Successfully completing this audit means that users of Opera’s free browser VPN have an additional guarantee that their data is secure and their browsing is safe from anyone’s prying eyes. 

Our free browser VPN previously successfully completed a security audit by notable Berlin-based security researcher Cure53. The new successful no-log audit by Deloitte complements this effort and goes one step further towards guaranteeing the safety and security of our VPN products.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact our Security team.

As always, stay safe everyone!

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