Privacy Badger for Opera: Pros, Cons, and Alternatives

How to Install and Configure Privacy Badger on Opera

Overview

Privacy Badger is an anti-tracking browser extension by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). Opera doesn’t have a native Privacy Badger extension in its store, but you can run Privacy Badger in Opera by enabling support for Chrome extensions and installing it from the Chrome Web Store.

Step 1 — Enable Chrome extensions in Opera

1. Open Opera.
2. Go to Settings (Alt+P) → Advanced → Privacy & security → Extensions, or type opera://settings/extensions in the address bar.
3. Install the “Install Chrome Extensions” add-on from the Opera add-ons store if it’s not already installed:
   • Visit https://addons.opera.com and search for “Install Chrome Extensions.”
   • Click “Add to Opera” and confirm.

Step 2 — Install Privacy Badger from Chrome Web Store

1. Visit the Chrome Web Store: https://chrome.google.com/webstore
2. Search for “Privacy Badger” (by EFF) or go directly to its page.
3. Click “Add to Opera” (the Install Chrome Extensions add-on will allow this).
4. Confirm installation; Privacy Badger’s icon (brown badger) appears in Opera’s toolbar.

Step 3 — Initial configuration

1. Click the Privacy Badger icon in the toolbar.
2. Toggle the extension on if needed.
3. Privacy Badger operates automatically: it learns and blocks invisible trackers based on observed behavior. No manual blocking is required initially.

Step 4 — Adjusting site-specific settings

1. Click the Privacy Badger icon while on a site.
2. You’ll see a list of domains Privacy Badger has seen and three slider states:
   • Red (Blocked): third-party domain blocked.
   • Yellow (Cookie-block): allowed but cookie-blocked.
   • Green (Allowed): domain allowed.
3. Move sliders to change blocking behavior per domain.

Step 5 — Global options and permissions

1. Right-click the Privacy Badger toolbar icon → Options, or open extensions (opera://extensions) and click “Details” → Extension options.
2. In options you can:
   • View blocked trackers log.
   • Reset learning for a site or the extension.
   • Enable/disable sending of telemetry (if present).
3. Ensure the extension has permission to run in private windows if you want it active in Opera’s private mode (toggle in extension details).

Step 6 — Troubleshooting common issues

• If Privacy Badger won’t install: ensure “Install Chrome Extensions” is enabled and you’re using an up-to-date Opera.
• If a site breaks after blocking: open Privacy Badger and set the relevant third-party domain to Yellow or Green, then reload.
• If icon disappears: check opera://extensions to confirm it’s enabled and allowed in toolbar.

Alternative approaches

• Use Opera’s built-in ad/tracker blocker (Settings → Privacy & security → Block ads and trackers) for a simpler solution.
• Consider other Opera-native privacy extensions like uBlock Origin or Ghostery if compatibility issues arise.

Quick checklist

• Install “Install Chrome Extensions” from Opera add-ons
• Add Privacy Badger from Chrome Web Store
• Verify icon appears and extension is enabled
• Adjust per-site sliders when a site breaks
• Enable in private windows if desired