A browser can raise privacy questions without being spyware. That distinction is at the heart of Comparitech’s article on Opera GX: it concludes that the browser is legitimate and does not contain spyware, malware or viruses. The article says the “spyware” label is driven largely by worries and allegations—not by evidence it presents that Opera GX secretly spies on its users.
One source of suspicion is ownership. Comparitech says Chinese investors bought Opera’s browser businesses in 2016. Some people see this as a reason to distrust Opera GX. But the article stresses that ownership alone does not show that the browser shares users’ data with Chinese authorities. It describes Opera as a Norwegian company subject to European data-protection laws.
The article also looks at features that have prompted questions. Promotional businesses may appear on Opera GX’s Speed Dial page, but Comparitech says users can switch off those promotions in Settings, under Privacy and Security. That may be unwelcome to people who prefer a quieter start page, but the article presents it as a visible feature with an off switch—not proof of hidden spying.
Another point involves Android notifications. Opera previously used Google Cloud Messaging for push notifications. Comparitech argues that this did not, by itself, show that Opera continuously tracked users’ activity. The distinction matters: a browser feature that raises a privacy question is not automatically evidence of a broader, secret practice.
The article says Opera checks domain names against known malicious sites to help protect users from phishing and malware, and that users can disable this feature. It also notes complaints about Google being the default search engine, automatic crash-report submission and what Private Browsing does—and does not—provide. Critics have cited these as privacy concerns, but Comparitech does not treat them as proof that Opera GX is spyware.
The suspicion has a history, too. Comparitech reports that a German IT blog made an early accusation about Opera’s privacy in 2021, two years after Opera GX launched. An accusation can draw attention to a real question, but it is not the same as evidence proving the claim.
So what can readers conclude? According to Comparitech, the concerns are worth understanding, but the article does not establish that Opera GX secretly spies on users or sends their information to Chinese authorities. It also does not independently establish what data any particular current version collects or transmits. That is an important limit: the article’s conclusion is not a detailed audit of every version or setting. For anyone weighing privacy, it helps to separate documented features and settings from claims that the article says are not proven.
Source: Is Opera GX spyware? What you need to know, Comparitech
Leave a Reply