Opera: Difference between revisions
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|InProduction=Yes | |InProduction=Yes | ||
|Category=Web browser | |Category=Web browser | ||
|Logo=Opera | |Logo=Opera logo.svg | ||
|Website=https://www.opera.com/ | |Website=https://www.opera.com/ | ||
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Opera is a Chromium-based web browser developed by its namesake company [[wikipedia:Opera_(company)|Opera]]. | '''{{wplink|Opera (web_browser)|Opera}}''' is a Chromium-based web browser developed by its namesake company [[wikipedia:Opera_(company)|Opera]]. | ||
Opera was released on 10 April 1995, making it one of the oldest desktop web browsers to exist. It was commercial software for its first ten years and had its own proprietary layout engine, Presto. In 2013, it switched from the Presto engine to Chromium.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://press.opera.com/2013/02/13/opera-gears-up-at-300-million-users/|title=Opera gears up at 300 million users|date=2013-02-13|work=Opera press|access-date=2025-11-02}}</ref> | Opera was released on 10 April 1995, making it one of the oldest desktop web browsers to exist. It was commercial software for its first ten years and had its own proprietary layout engine, Presto. In 2013, it switched from the Presto engine to Chromium.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://press.opera.com/2013/02/13/opera-gears-up-at-300-million-users/|title=Opera gears up at 300 million users|date=2013-02-13|work=Opera press|access-date=2025-11-02 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251208045718/https://press.opera.com/2013/02/13/opera-gears-up-at-300-million-users/ |archive-date=8 Dec 2025}}</ref> | ||
==Consumer-impact summary== | ==Consumer-impact summary== | ||
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===Fraudulent Loaning Services (2019-2020)=== | ===Fraudulent Loaning Services (2019-2020)=== | ||
Between 2019 and 2020, Opera released multiple short-term loaning apps in developing countries, including OKash and OPesa.<ref name="spacebar">{{Cite web|url=https://www.spacebar.news/stop-using-opera-browser/|title=Stop using Opera Browser and Opera GX|date=2024-01-24|first=Corbin|last=Davenport|work=Spacebar|access-date=2025-11-02}}</ref> These apps were made available in Nigeria, Kenya and India and would let users take short-term loans. However, the interest rates on those loans ranged from 365-876% per year, and loan terms from 7-29 days. Opera also falsely advertised longer loan terms and lower interest rates in the app descriptions, because the Google Play Store had rules against predatory loan services. | Between 2019 and 2020, Opera released multiple short-term loaning apps in developing countries, including OKash and OPesa.<ref name="spacebar">{{Cite web|url=https://www.spacebar.news/stop-using-opera-browser/|title=Stop using Opera Browser and Opera GX|date=2024-01-24|first=Corbin|last=Davenport|work=Spacebar|access-date=2025-11-02 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260211173503/https://www.spacebar.news/stop-using-opera-browser/ |archive-date=11 Feb 2026}}</ref> These apps were made available in Nigeria, Kenya and India and would let users take short-term loans. However, the interest rates on those loans ranged from 365-876% per year, and loan terms from 7-29 days. Opera also falsely advertised longer loan terms and lower interest rates in the app descriptions, because the Google Play Store had rules against predatory loan services. | ||
In addition, OKash and OPesa asked for permission to the phone contacts during the setup process, violating the user's privacy.{{Clarify|how}} The service would also recur to scare-tactics by sending threatening messages to the user's contacts when a borrower was late on their payments. | In addition, OKash and OPesa asked for permission to the phone contacts during the setup process, violating the user's privacy.{{Clarify|how}} The service would also recur to scare-tactics by sending threatening messages to the user's contacts when a borrower was late on their payments. | ||
The money from these loan apps amounted to 42.5% of Opera's revenue by mid-2019, meaning that Opera was making profit from scamming people in developing countries.<ref name="qz">{{Cite web|url=https://qz.com/africa/1788351/operas-okash-opesas-predatory-lending-in-nigeria-india-kenya|title=A Chinese super app is facing claims of predatory consumer lending in Nigeria, Kenya and India|first=Yomi|last=Kazeem|date=2022-07-20|access-date=2025-11-02}}</ref> | The money from these loan apps amounted to 42.5% of Opera's revenue by mid-2019, meaning that Opera was making profit from scamming people in developing countries.<ref name="qz">{{Cite web|url=https://qz.com/africa/1788351/operas-okash-opesas-predatory-lending-in-nigeria-india-kenya|title=A Chinese super app is facing claims of predatory consumer lending in Nigeria, Kenya and India|first=Yomi|last=Kazeem|date=2022-07-20|access-date=2025-11-02 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250624203236/https://qz.com/africa/1788351/operas-okash-opesas-predatory-lending-in-nigeria-india-kenya |archive-date=24 Jun 2025}}</ref> | ||
===Telemetry=== | ===Telemetry=== | ||
Latest revision as of 07:00, 23 February 2026
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| Basic Information | |
|---|---|
| Release Year | 1995 |
| Product Type | Web browser |
| In Production | Yes |
| Official Website | https://www.opera.com/ |
Opera is a Chromium-based web browser developed by its namesake company Opera.
Opera was released on 10 April 1995, making it one of the oldest desktop web browsers to exist. It was commercial software for its first ten years and had its own proprietary layout engine, Presto. In 2013, it switched from the Presto engine to Chromium.[1]
Consumer-impact summary
[edit | edit source]
Freedom
[edit | edit source]Privacy
[edit | edit source]Business model
[edit | edit source]Market control
[edit | edit source]Incidents
[edit | edit source]This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents related to this product. This section is still in progress.
Fraudulent Loaning Services (2019-2020)
[edit | edit source]Between 2019 and 2020, Opera released multiple short-term loaning apps in developing countries, including OKash and OPesa.[2] These apps were made available in Nigeria, Kenya and India and would let users take short-term loans. However, the interest rates on those loans ranged from 365-876% per year, and loan terms from 7-29 days. Opera also falsely advertised longer loan terms and lower interest rates in the app descriptions, because the Google Play Store had rules against predatory loan services.
In addition, OKash and OPesa asked for permission to the phone contacts during the setup process, violating the user's privacy.[how?] The service would also recur to scare-tactics by sending threatening messages to the user's contacts when a borrower was late on their payments.
The money from these loan apps amounted to 42.5% of Opera's revenue by mid-2019, meaning that Opera was making profit from scamming people in developing countries.[3]
Telemetry
[edit | edit source]Opera has been a controversial web browser due to its potential telemetry and data collection.
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "Opera gears up at 300 million users". Opera press. 2013-02-13. Archived from the original on 8 Dec 2025. Retrieved 2025-11-02.
- ↑ Davenport, Corbin (2024-01-24). "Stop using Opera Browser and Opera GX". Spacebar. Archived from the original on 11 Feb 2026. Retrieved 2025-11-02.
- ↑ Kazeem, Yomi (2022-07-20). "A Chinese super app is facing claims of predatory consumer lending in Nigeria, Kenya and India". Archived from the original on 24 Jun 2025. Retrieved 2025-11-02.