Rumor has it that Facebook is planning to acquire the company behind the Opera web browser. The rumor mill exploded earlier today from various sources on the web. According to Pocketlint, a trusted source of theirs reportedly told them that the social networking giant is planning to buy Opera Software, the company behind the Opera web browser. The source reportedly said that Facebook could be on the verge of expanding into web browsers, similar to the likes of Google, Microsoft, Mozilla, and of course Yahoo with its recently announced Yahoo! Axis.
The Next Web is also backing up the rumor. The publication claims that a source close to Opera confirmed to them that the company is currently talking to potential buyers and that a hiring freeze has been implemented in the company. But when TNW asked both Facebook and Opera for an official response, both parties reportedly declined to comment.
While this could be very possible, it is important to remember that this is widely a rumor, and that casting our own assumptions on the subject matter will do no good. But we know for a fact that the move, if confirmed, will unlikely affect Chrome and Firefox. Let’s keep in mind that the success of Chrome and Firefox is due to one thing: better browsing experience.