Some blog publishers in Nigeria are unhappy with the Nigerian office of popular Norwegian software company, Opera and its business subsidiary, Opera News.

Although Opera is renowned globally for its user-friendly browsers designed for personal computers and mobile devices, Opera News is its standalone news app that is designed to keep people updated on favourite news and video content.

Launched on January 9, 2018, the app delivers a variety of trending news and entertaining videos and gets smarter with each use, using machine learning to tailor content for the individual.

Perhaps a major attraction for users is that Opera News saves up to 80 percent of the users’ mobile data usage due to its unique data-saving capabilities.

Unsurprisingly, in less than four weeks after its launch, Opera News said it achieved one million downloads across Africa, and according to AppAnnie became the most downloaded news app in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa and Tanzania by June 2018.

This reporter gathered that to keep users updated with relevant and timely content, Opera News signed agreements with different bloggers to feature their blog content on the Opera News app for a fee.

According to investigations carried out by this reporter, the publishers’ grouse is connected to Opera News’ alleged refusal to pay them agreed fees for the use of their content.

The publishers, who spoke to this reporter in separate chats on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, accused Opera News of deliberately avoiding payment by deploying different tactics, including under-reporting revenue.

A publisher of a general-interest news blog who spoke to this reporter said, “Over a period of time, I think every month, we got about one million unique visitors and three million views from Opera News. Those three million views don’t even translate to any money.

“So for the whole year, people (blog publishers) who have been getting an average of two million page views from Opera News every month did not get anything. Nobody has been paid.

“That is the scam that I am trying to draw your attention and the attention of the general public to.”

The publisher added, “Think about this: If somebody is getting five million views (from Opera) every month but does not collect one naira, then something is terribly wrong because a lot of this traffic comes from developed countries too, not just Nigeria.

“Traffic comes from the USA and so on and almost all these pages that are seen all around the world on Opera, Opera is monetising those pages.

“Opera is monetising those pages and (according to an agreement which I can also share with you for context) agreed to give the publishers 50 percent of the revenue.

“But what do they is that they don’t report any revenue, or any substantial revenue, and that is what allows them to hold off on payments to publishers indefinitely.

“So, there are several huge publications that even make tens of thousands from the same Google Ads that Opera places on their platform. Opera doesn’t pay them anything, and Opera tries to pretend as if it is doing us (publishers) a favour because Opera knows that Google is not really paying Nigerian publishers as much for Nigerian traffic.

“That is why it is important that you understand that a lot of the traffic also comes from other sources from around the world; it’s not just Nigerian traffic. There’re very wealthy sources of traffic from, say, the US.

“For example, American consumers, when they see an ad, it is different from when a Nigerian consumer sees an ad.

“But it looks like what Opera is trying to do is to try and under-report its revenue, pretty much allegedly scamming the publishers that are on its network, virtually all of them.

“And that is why we have decided to come forward.”

Another publisher, who also confirmed signing an agreement with Opera News, further confirmed the company’s non-payment of agreed fees to him after several months of being his blog content being featured on the platform.

He said, “I don’t just want to talk about them (Opera News) because the experience has just not been as expected.”

However, he disclosed that some publishers on the platform claimed to have received some sort of payment from Opera News.

The publisher added, “There are some publishers that have had good experiences with them. I know a few publishers that have received payment from them.

“So, I don’t really want to comment on the Opera issue. I just let them be.”

The company could not be reached for comments as at the time of filing this report.


https://www.businesstimesng.com/nigerian-publishers-flay-opera-news-over-unremitted-payments/

FTC for the first time...

Don't really get the feeling people have about FTC though.
Whichever way, I did it. This year, we shall rejoice...

That is the downside of partnering with a bigger brand.
The big brand can exploit the smaller brand because there are other smaller brands ready to join the big brand

Do you have need for logos? Do you want to re-brand your business?

You mean Fake News publishers? I hate that Opera News with passion, just publishing fake news everywhere, if I see how to disable it I'll do so. I can't just do without opera. F**k these fake news publishers, opera should not pay them shingbai

Bloggers i hail thee

I never heard of opera news app.

The normal opera mini browser is full of shit.
Who deals with such company?

Who still uses opera mini theae days?

That's not good for their business


For cheap MTN SME data check my signature

Claiming anonymity in what one supposed to voice out loudly.
Nigeria and victimization. Smh

Which political party started fake news in Nigeria?

Jummyju:
Who still uses opera mini theae days?

where did you see opera mini

debts shaa


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Awon fake news publishers. It's so annoying when you enter opera to see fake news littered on your home screen by these so called bloggers.

Betmaster3:
You mean Fake News publishers? I hate that Opera News with passion, just publishing fake news everywhere, if I see how to disable it I'll do so. I can't just do without opera. F**k these fake news publishers, opera should not pay them shingbai

I'm sure opera have been receiving complains of their fake news.

Fake news everywhere
Those news makes me loose my appetite

I don't understand one thing here....

pay them for publishing fake news? Smh

When the bloggers should be the ones paying them

opera-tion fake news

When u only post News about Yahoo Yahoo.

they can lie sha.


naso dem tell me say ASUU call off strike
I don dey celebrate

Opera should not pay these criminals for fake news.

rotadota:
Awon fake news publishers. It's so annoying when you enter opera to see fake news littered on your home screen by these so called bloggers.

Exactly what I notice about opera. So much fake news and it is disgusting.

Opera should should disable that useless adblock shit on their apps and both parties will be happy because as it stands, their traffic to blogs is useless imo .

Those guys are thieves... Will be pulling out soon.

Apple news is even better, because you will see statistics and which content is performing unlike Opera News where you can't tell.

All you see is visit on your Google analytics

JideTheBlogger:
Opera should should disable that useless adblock shit on their apps and both parties will be happy because as it stands, their traffic to blogs is useless imo .

If Opera disables the ad-block, where would the links on the ads be opened? In the app or where?

winkmart:
When the bloggers should be the ones paying them

I should pay you for using my content?

netsurfer01:


If Opera disables the ad-block, where would the links on the ads be opened? In the app or where?

On the opera (webview)

ibietela2:


On the opera (webview)

It won't make sense with the current structure of the app