Recently Opera Software annexed the popular VPN provider SurfEasy and in the the latest version of the Opera web browser, they are promoting SurfEasy VPN services openly when you try to start a new private browsing session. Their argument seems valid enough – if someone is keen on using a private web browsing window (typically opened using the hotkey Ctrl+Shift+N and used by the privacy conscious users to hide their web browsing footprints), then they might also be interested in even more privacy through the use of the VPN services. While SurfEasy is a very good VPN services provider and helps hide your online identity by hiding your IP address, some people might be using other VPN services and may not want to see the promotional message each time they open a private browsing window in the Opera browser.
All such users, who do not really want to see the SurfEasy VPN services promotion in Opera private browsing window, can follow these instructions to disable it:
- Update the Opera web browser to at least version 32 or a later version. But perhaps the promotional message will be displayed only in the version 32.
- Open Opera browser, type opera://flags in the address bar and press Enter.
- In the search box type surfeasy to narrow down the settings we are interested in.
- You will find a setting SurfEasy promotion. Change its value to Disabled.
- A new notification bar will appear near the top edge of the browser. Click on the Relaunch now button in this notification bar.
- After the Opera browser restarts, SurfEasy promotion disappears from the private browsing window.
There is no harm in letting Opera display some promotional message for their newly acquired SurfEasy VPN firm. You may even benefit from SurfEasy as they also provide a free service for everyone. But because Opera is providing a setting to disable the promotion, why not disable it if you are not going to use it anyway.