Apple slaps Opera browser with 17+ rating

Apple has finally allowed the Opera browser into the Mac App Store, but in a bizarre move has handed it a 17+ rating.

The browser has been deemed to contain "frequent, intense, mature and suggestive themes" by Apple, we kid you not.

Not only does the rating seem inappropriate, but it appears hypocritical to suggest that unsuitable material cannot be accessed using Apple's native Safari browser.

However, the bigwigs down at Opera have focused on the positives and taken a lighthearted approach to the situation.

"This week, the Opera web browser became the first non-native browser made available in Apple's Mac App Store, but only for those over seventeen years of age", Opera noted on its site.

Although in a little dig at Apple, Jan Standal, vice president of desktop products for Opera, remarked that he was very concerned about the rating.

"Seventeen is very young, and I am not sure if, at that age, people are ready to use such an application. It's very fast, you know, and it has a lot of features. I think the download requirement should be at least 18."

Opera is also offering a work-around for those who aren't old enough to download the app. Users can download it directly from www.opera.com, but Opera did add that they should get parents' permission before using this browser.