[11.60] Why does Opera conceal calls to redir.opera.com?

When updating to Opera 11.60, a few new speed dials are added automatically.
(I cannot say that I do appreciate this. Actually I feel fleeced when things happen like adding new bookmarks or speed dials without asking. On the other hand I can quickly delete them and they are gone.)

Though there is something unusual about the new speed dials. For example, when I hover over the Amazon speed dial, it says: "Click to go to http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/redirect-home/operabrowser-21".
(What's clear here is that Opera gets paid by Amazon when someone uses this speed dial a lot. You might not like it, but that is the way it works.)

But when I actually click this speed dial, it does open another link: "http://redir.opera.com/speeddials/amazon"

Obviously, this seems like Opera Software ASA is also monitoring speeddial use (and trying to hide it) - nobody knows what else...

Or... perhaps the www.amazon.de URL is simply the generic Amazon landing page for browsers possibly coming from the Opera Amazon speed dial panel (whether that's were they originated or not, since I can go there without using speed dial), and the redir.opera.com is the link through Opera's servers that actually registers the user as being an Opera speed-dial user, so that Opera gets paid for the referral. Or perhaps some similar explanation along this same line.

I can't conclude any of this proves Opera ASA is trying to "hide" anything... more likely, it's simply a reflection of how things need to work for Opera to get accurately credited with genuine Speed-dial referrals to Amazon (which is what Amazon is paying for, and Opera is receiving income for). This way, both Opera and Amazon have server records of the referral that should (hopefully) coincide...

Somebody has to pay for Opera to develop, distribute, and maintain desktop browsers. Referrals and preferred/default search engines are some of the ways "free" browsers (Opera and others) generate income - but that's certainly no secret.

FYI: Some resources (I mean Translation, Dictionary, Encyclopedia, etc) on the context menu uses redir.opera.com and has been that way for years.

Originally posted by blackbird71:

I can't conclude any of this proves Opera ASA is trying to "hide" anything... more likely, it's simply a reflection of how things need to work for Opera to get accurately credited with genuine Speed-dial referrals to Amazon (which is what Amazon is paying for, and Opera is receiving income for). This way, both Opera and Amazon have server records of the referral that should (hopefully) coincide...

Somebody has to pay for Opera to develop, distribute, and maintain desktop browsers. Referrals and preferred/default search engines are some of the ways "free" browsers (Opera and others) generate income - but that's certainly no secret.

Well yes, that is no secret. But the point is: When I hover over a (speed dial) link, Opera says correspondingly in a tooltip bubble: "If you are going to click this link, I will open address ABC."

But when I do click the link, Opera instead opens address XYZ which then quickly redirects to ABC. I say this is crooked, because XYZ will then be allowed to log my calls.

Opera isn't hiding anything, if you look at the URL it says what it is.

Opera uses redirects for lots of stuff - so does Google when you click any of their sponsored links that appear in search results. Though then again, I expect Google does track you ... but Google is under different laws in that regard.

I had an interesting experience earlier this week. The people at Opera wanted to send me a Christmas card, so they asked for my address (I'm a volunteer forum moderator - I'm sure they wouldn't send cards to all 8 million+ My Opera members). I asked why they didn't just use my address from last year - I've only been a moderator for about 7 years now, though the Christmas cards are fairly recent. The person I was talking to (EspenAO if you must know) said that under Norwegian law they weren't allowed to keep my address on file; once they'd used it for whatever explicit purpose they'd requested it for (my card last year) they had to erase it. Sounds kind of a bit excessive to me, but different places have different laws.

So ... while I'm sure they may be tracking how many people click their links, they can't legally be tracking specific people. They might possibly know at the time it occurs that is was you who clicked the link, but they aren't allowed to keep track of that information.