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Free VPN integrated in Opera for better online privacy

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Re: Free VPN integrated in Opera for better online privacy

#81

Post by anexprogrammer »

zo1 wrote: post #73

Some terms from the SurfEasy, Inc company, which is the VPN provider for this service[0]: SurfEasy does not store users originating IP address when connected to our service and therefore cannot identify users when provided IP addresses of our servers. Additionally, SurfEasy cannot disclose information about the applications, services or websites our users consume while connected to our services; as SurfEasy does not…

Isn't that fairly standard amongst the privacy respecting VPNs?

We store nothing / log nothing.

We'll comply with law enforcement as far as we're able (ie not at all beyond billing, email and perhaps bandwidth used).

So that seems to say they'll perhaps be able to tell when you were logged in, who you are + payment info, and perhaps volumes transferred. Where and on which ports? No clue officer.

Private Internet Access seems similar: https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/privacy-policy/

Re: Free VPN integrated in Opera for better online privacy

#82

Post by tomkwok »

mtgx wrote: post #77
a_imho wrote: post #20

Couple with native adblocking I'm very tempted to switch browsers (from FF) and probably do so when available. But it just sounds too good, what is the catch?

Yeah, it's becoming more and more interesting. What would kill my interest is if it ends up being bought by a Chinese company, though.

It has been... See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11177438

Re: Free VPN integrated in Opera for better online privacy

#85

Post by betaby »

sspiff wrote: post #56

I've got a few questions, and their puffy news post doesn't answer them: * Is this a real VPN service, or simply an HTTP/HTTPS proxy? * Is DNS resolution also securely handled through the tunnel, or does this stay in the clear? * What region(s) is their VPN service located in? * Is it possible for other software to use this tunnel in any way? Upon first reading, this doesn't seem very different from their old "accele…

DNS is not leaked, it's a https proxy and opera passes URL there without any local resolution.

Re: Free VPN integrated in Opera for better online privacy

#86

Post by ashmud »

betaby wrote: post #85
sspiff wrote: post #56

I've got a few questions, and their puffy news post doesn't answer them: * Is this a real VPN service, or simply an HTTP/HTTPS proxy? * Is DNS resolution also securely handled through the tunnel, or does this stay in the clear? * What region(s) is their VPN service located in? * Is it possible for other software to use this tunnel in any way? Upon first reading, this doesn't seem very different from their old "accele…

DNS is not leaked, it's a https proxy and opera passes URL there without any local resolution.

Is there a source for this claim (e.g., document from Opera, personal testing such as with Wireshark, etc.)?

Are the OS overrides for DNS entries (e.g., hosts file) used at all in this case?

Re: Free VPN integrated in Opera for better online privacy

#87

Post by MasterScrat »

anexprogrammer wrote: post #81
zo1 wrote: post #73

Some terms from the SurfEasy, Inc company, which is the VPN provider for this service[0]: SurfEasy does not store users originating IP address when connected to our service and therefore cannot identify users when provided IP addresses of our servers. Additionally, SurfEasy cannot disclose information about the applications, services or websites our users consume while connected to our services; as SurfEasy does not…

Isn't that fairly standard amongst the privacy respecting VPNs? We store nothing / log nothing. We'll comply with law enforcement as far as we're able (ie not at all beyond billing, email and perhaps bandwidth used). So that seems to say they'll perhaps be able to tell when you were logged in, who you are + payment info, and perhaps volumes transferred. Where and on which ports? No clue officer. Private Internet Acce…

But what happens if law enforcement specifically ask them to start recording more information?

Re: Free VPN integrated in Opera for better online privacy

#88

Post by gh02t »

a_imho wrote: post #20

Couple with native adblocking I'm very tempted to switch browsers (from FF) and probably do so when available. But it just sounds too good, what is the catch?

I switched to opera on Linux recently as Chrome and then Firefox had gotten a bit slow or unstable for me as of late. Have to say, I am very pleased. It's tidy, fast and integrates in pretty well on Linux. It's also featured packed without the agonizingly long startups Chrome was giving me.

I know they monetize with ads and such, but I haven't found them intrusive at all. I think one of their major sources is that they have a kind of Flipboard-esque feed of news articles on your home screen at the bottom. If that is where they do their advertising then it's a model of how to do it IMO. I've found that the articles it shows are genuinely things I want to read and it's not intrusive at all; in fact I'd miss it if it was gone.

Re: Free VPN integrated in Opera for better online privacy

#89

Post by skrowl »

SubiculumCode wrote: post #83

To sell your web history themselves.

The VPN is also in Canada, a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes country, so in addition to selling your web history they'll also turn it over to any govt agency with no warrant or even notifying you.

Re: Free VPN integrated in Opera for better online privacy

#90

Post by ashmud »

kardos wrote: post #63

What stops someone from making a Firefox plugin that (ab)uses Opera's free VPN?

Ultimately, nothing. They could still aggregate your usage data, though, and not necessarily be out anything investment-wise, compared to using the Opera client proper.
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