New Opera mobile browser with built-in VPN in India

Opera Internet browser on Wednesday released a new version of its mobile app called "Opera for Android 51" that comes with a free built-in Virtual Private Network (VPN) service to safeguard the online privacy and security of over 160 million VPN users in India.

When enabled, the built-in VPN would create a private and encrypted connection between devices and a remote VPN server, using 256-bit encryption algorithms, the company said in a statement.

There are already more than 650 million people using VPN services globally out of which, 33 per cent users are India-based.

"With Opera, they can now enjoy a free and no-log service that enhances online privacy and improves security," said Peter Wallman, Senior Vice President, Opera Browser for Android.

On being activated, the VPN would hide the physical location of the user and make their behaviour on the web hard to track.

The browser VPN service is also a no-log service, which means that the VPN servers neither log nor retain any activity data, all to protect user privacy.

The roll-out of the new "Opera for Android 51" would be done gradually per region, the company added.