The launch of Opera 40, with a built-in VPN, gained the browser developer 2 million new desktop users in one week, a record. The built-in VPN is free to use and the service has servers in five different locations around the world. Opera promises its VPN is unlimited and doesn't log.
VPNs are mainly used for two purposes, protecting the privacy of the VPN user and circumventing geoblocks. The privacy is protected because when a VPN user surfs to a site on the internet, he first connects to a VPN server which then retrieves the page and sends it to the user. The entire connection between the VPN server and the user is encrypted which means it's impossible to eavesdrop on.
VPNs, including the one provided by Opera, can also be used to circumvent geo-blocks, meaning users can get access to services that would normally not be available in their country. That is possible because Opera has VPN servers in the Netherlands, United States, Canada, Germany and Singapore and when connecting to either of them it appears to the service that the user is in that country.
The developers of Opera offer the VPN feature because they want their browser to be as complete as possible without the need of installing plugins or extensions. Therefore the browser not only has a built-in VPN, but also a built-in adblocker.
According to Opera it also wants to protect the privacy of its users as Krystian Kolondra from Opera explains, "Yes, #PrivacyMatters. Which is exactly why we put our free, no-log VPN directly in the browser. We wanted to remove cost and complexity so that every type of browser user, from savvy to novice, can access the web with more privacy and control over their data."
