Opera launches 'free and unlimited' VPN app for iOS

Opera is on a bit of a privacy tear at the moment. Last month, the company integrated a free and unlimited VPN (virtual private network) into the developer version of its web browser, and last week, it added built-in ad blocking to its desktop and mobile software. Now, Opera has launched a new VPN app for iOS, and, again, it's free to use with unlimited data.

Like Opera's previous VPN integrations, the app uses the US-based SurfEasy VPN service acquired by Opera last March. SurfEasy offers its own standalone apps for Android and iOS, as well as desktop software, but charges a subscription fee after a trial period. Other third-party VPN apps have a similar set-up, or insert ads to pay for their server time. Opera, by comparison, is promising that its mobile VPN is free for life, with no subscription needed. The company said it had no plans to serve users ads "for now."

Opera is marketing the app as "especially relevant on campuses and workplaces," where Wi-Fi provided by one institution or another may have limited access to "social ­media and video ­streaming websites." You can use the app to route your internet connection through another country to access geo-blocked content (the virtual regions on offer are Canada, Germany, Singapore, and the US), and the software also blocks ads and trackers.

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