A study of Android VPN apps found that 84% will leak your IP address, 82% will attempt to access your sensitive data, 75% utilize third-party tracking, 38% contain malware, and 18% don’t even encrypt your data (leaving you completely exposed). In general, you should be cautious when downloading any VPN app on your mobile device. One example of this was MySafeVPN, which was sending out scam emails and defrauding customers who paid money, expecting there to be an actual VPN service.
When I say “fake” what I mean is that there are no servers, no software, and no VPN – instead it’s just someone trying to steal your money while pretending to be a VPN.
With the growing interest in VPNs, there are even fake VPNs services popping up. We have all the details in our Betternet review. They were also busted for embedding 14 different third-party tracking libraries into their Android VPN app, while promising users “privacy and security”. An academic research paper listed Betternet as #4 on the Top 10 most malware-infected Android VPN apps. In reviewing and testing Betternet, I found a number of alarming items, such as Betternet giving third parties access to your data that’s collected through their VPN. VPN Warning List VPNs located in 5 Eyes countriesĪlways consider the legal jurisdiction of your VPN provider. The following five countries are working together in an alliance to collect, share, and analyze mass surveillance data: United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Everything on this list is based on information that is well sourced and freely available online. VPNs are constantly updating their software, however, a history of bad practices may be a sign of trouble. To combat the growing confusion and deception in the VPN market, we created the VPN Warning List (which is a work in progress). This warning list contains information that I personally find to be troubling with various VPNs and the overall VPN market.ĭisclaimer: This list does not necessarily reflect the latest information on every VPN service and/or app. VPNs can look perfect on the surface, yet still be an absolute privacy and security disaster when you take a closer look. Some VPNs will infect your computer with malware, install hidden tracking libraries on your devices, steal your private information, leave your data exposed to third parties, and even steal your bandwidth.Īs you will see below, many of the popular VPNs are not safe to use – especially if you are using a VPN to protect your privacy online. Many popular, highly-rated VPN services will leak your IP address or DNS requests, thereby exposing your data to third parties. When it comes to protecting your privacy, most VPNs fail.
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