Google Play to alert users if VPN apps are secure

Starting with virtual private network (VPN) apps, certain categories on the Google Play store will now show a banner to help users find trustworthy and safe apps. Google said that these banners will tell users about the “Independent security review” badge, highlighting apps that have undergone independent audits. “To help give users a simplified view of which apps have undergone an independent security validation, we're introducing a new Google Play store banner for specific app types, starting with VPN apps,” the company said.

When a user searches for VPN apps, they will now see a banner at the top of Google Play that educates them about the “Independent security review” badge in the Data Safety Section. Users also have the ability to “Learn More”, which redirects them to the App Validation Directory, a centralized place to view all VPN apps that have been independently security reviewed.

“Users can also discover additional technical assessment details in the App Validation Directory, helping them to make more informed decisions about what VPN apps to download, use, and trust with their data,” said Google.

VPN providers such as NordVPN, Google One, ExpressVPN, and others have already undergone independent security testing and publicly declared the badge. “We encourage and anticipate additional VPN app developers to undergo independent security testing,” the company said.