Facebook in talks to buy browser company Opera, says report
Acquisition rumor suggests that the social-networking company might launch its own browser.
Is Facebook planning to jump on the browser bandwagon?
Tech blog Pocket-lint says one of its "trusted sources" revealed that Facebook is trying to buy Opera Software, the company behind the Opera Web browser, a sign that the social-networking company might be looking to launch its own browser.
The move would put Facebook in competition with other tech companies in the browser game -- including Yahoo, which recently launched Axis, and Google, which has already released extensions to integrate its social-networking component, Google +, into its browser.
Pocket-lint speculates that a Facebook browser "would allow you keep up to date with your social life from in-built plug-ins and features on the menu bar."
Facebook knows it isn't monetizing its mobile users though advertising, so it has been using its IPO money to make several acquisitions in an attempt to address its weak mobile strategy.
The Next Web's sources say that Opera is in a hiring freeze and talking to potential buyers.
Opera says it has about 200 million users across all of its platforms.
Facebook has declined to comment.