Privacy and Opera's Built-in Search and "Hotclick" Features

Introduced in Opera 5, and present in Opera, 6 is a built-in Web search feature. This gives the user the option to utilize external Web search engines directly from the browser interface. Opera sends the user's search requests (in a specially designed URL string) directly to third party Web sites which handle the actual search queries. What is sent to the third party site is the special Opera search string along with the text terms needed to perform the particular search query. No personal information is sent.

You can see this feature in action by observing the URL in the address line when you perform a search. Simply click the "Stop" button in Opera or hit "Esc" on the keyboard before the page with the search query has completed loading, and you will see exactly what is being sent by Opera to the third party site.

Opera 6 introduces other "Hotclick" items, such as Dictionary, Encyclopedia, and Translate, which work much in the same way as the built-in searches.

The following Opera search-related features and functions are available from various locations in the user interface: via the personal bar, the search field or address field in the address bar, and the "Hotclick" context menu.

  • Search
  • Search with
  • Dictionary
  • Encyclopedia
  • Translate

When using the built-in search-related features, Opera will receive cookies, including third party cookies, from sites such as google.com, doubleclick.net, lycos.com and various Lycos subdomains and affiliates, amazon.com, pricegrabber.com, techtracker.com, windowstracker.com, domaindirect.com, commission-junction.com (cj.com), qksrv.net, infoplease.com, hitbox.com, and possibly others. However, you can gain control over incoming cookies by adjusting the settings in Opera's privacy preferences.

Some of these sites may monitor data traffic from copies of the Opera browser, such as numbers of hits and the search terms used. No personally identifiable information is made available to these services by the Opera browser nor by Opera Software.

Please note: Opera Software does not control the privacy and security practices and policies of these third parties and their sites. Check the particular site and/or business for more information. It is the responsibility of the browser user to use caution before sharing personal information via forms and other methods used by third parties and their Websites.

Opera users who wish not to use the search-related features can disable them in the browser preferences, or simply ignore them. Users who are concerned about personal privacy when using the Internet should fully utilize Opera's privacy and security related features.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this privacy statement, privacy issues regarding Opera Software and our products, or privacy on our Web sites please use our contact form.

Postal address:

Opera Software ASA
P.O. Box 2648 St Hanshaugen
NO-0131 OSLO
Norway