When you surf the web, do you use a VPN (Virtual Private Network)? More than half a billion of the web’s users do, which is about a quarter of the web’s population, so you may be one of them. If you’re not, you should consider it, because it makes your browsing experience safer and more secure. The problem, unfortunately, is that most of the good VPN services available have a monthly fee attached. While it’s possible to find a decent free VPN service, many of these have hidden costs, mostly in the form of annoying ads.

There’s good news on that front though, Opera has just announced that the developer’s edition of their browser will now include a built-in, completely free, unlimited use VPN service. Although the company barely registers any more against its bigger, and better known rivals (Microsoft Edge, Chrome and Firefox dominate the web browser market), the hope is that by introducing this new feature, Opera can steer the other browser companies in a similar direction, and if that happens, Opera expects to see a surge in their browser’s popularity as people begin to flock to it for access to the free VPN.

According to the Global Web Index, the primary reasons people use a Virtual Private Network are:
38% – To access better entertainment content
30% – To remain anonymous while browsing
28% – To access restricted networks and sites that are banned by certain countries
27% – To access restricted sites at work
24% – To communicate with friends and family abroad
If any of those apply in your particular case, and you’re not currently using a VPN, or even if you are, and are hoping to get away from the pesky ads or get rid of a monthly fee, Opera may be an alternative browser option for you.