Summary

  • Google has introduced verification badges for certain virtual private network (VPN) apps on its Play store to help users identify services that “prioritise user privacy and safety”.
  • The badges, which appear on search results and on the apps’ details pages, signify that the VPNs meet Google’s unspecified standards.
  • To be eligible for a verification badge, VPNs must submit to a Mobile Application Security Assessment, complete a Level 2 validation and undergo a security review, among other requirements.
  • Google stipulates that fulfilment of these requirements “significantly increases” the likelihood of a VPN receiving a verification badge.
  • VPNs from providers including Nord, hide.me and Aloha already display the new badges.

Original Article