Browser company Opera has announced it is bringing its foray into virtual private networks (VPNs) to a close, shutting the VPN service it launched back in 2016 at the end of this month.
Announced back in 2016 as a feature of the company's desktop browser and followed by a standalone version for Android and iOS mobile devices, questions were raised about its sustainability when Opera confirmed the VPN would be both free and feature unlimited usage. Those questions were soon answered when Opera announced Opera Gold, a subscription service which increased the functionality and performance of the VPN for a fee - but a fee which, it turns out, is insufficient for the company to keep the lights on.
In an announcement on the VPN service home page, Opera has confirmed it is closing the standalone Android and iOS variants of the VPN service at the end of the month. 'All of us here at Opera VPN (including Olaf) are sincerely grateful for all your support over the last couple of years,' the announcement reads, 'and we’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.'
For those who have an active Opera Gold subscription, the company is offering a free one-year subscription to VPN specialist SurfEasy - the company which provided the underlying platform on which the Opera-branded VPN ran. Those who were on the free version of the Opera VPN service, meanwhile, can use an in-app notification to receive an 80 percent discount on a paid SurfEasy subscription.
Opera has not yet confirmed whether it plans to shutter the in-browser VPN service in addition to the mobile variant.
MSI MPG Velox 100R Chassis Review
October 14 2021 | 15:04
Want to comment? Please log in.