Web browser Opera has closed a loophole which allowed Chinese users to access sites banned by the government. On previous versions of Opera, internet traffic was able to bypass the so-called Great Firewall of China, making the browser popular with Chinese users.
Last weekend, mobile users of the Opera Mini browser were asked to upgrade to a new version. The new version no longer allows access to sites such as Facebook.
Opera confirmed that it had started directing users of the international version of the mobile browser to the Chinese version. "The difference between the Chinese and the international version is that the former connects to compression servers within China.....benefits are higher speed, lower costs and an overall improved mobile web browsing experience," the firm said in a statement. Naturally, Opera refused to discuss the "background for this decision".
But there was plenty of speculation on the blogosphere. "Let me guess what has happened here. The Chinese government has put pressure on Opera to close down that free access. And like most companies, they complied," wrote blogger Carsten Ullrich.
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