Opera has claimed that users of its mobile browser are getting malicious advertisements that are directing them to download UC Browser. In a post on Opera’s official blog, Nuno Sitima, Head of Mobile Browsers has said these ads fill the user’s screen with warning messages that claim that Opera Mini is unsafe and a call-to-action to click an external link, which leads to a UC Browser download page.
In his post, Sitima says that some of the advertisements tell the user that they have less than five minutes to click a link and save their phone from damage. When the ad is opened on a device, it is followed by intense vibrations and sudden loud noises, leading to a “very negative and uncomfortable experience.” He says that Opera has seen no action from taken by the UC Browser team to remove these unethical pages. Sitima adds that if an external group is responsible for activating these pages, then the team at UC Browser is obliged to report these pages to Google as it also affects their brand.