Your VPN might be spying for China: Watchdog flags 17 apps with hidden ties on Apple and Google stores

Think your VPN is keeping you anonymous? Think again. A major watchdog report just revealed that 17 popular VPN apps available on Apple and Google stores might be quietly handing over your data with links pointing straight to China.

How are these VPNs tied to China?

According to a report released on Thursday by the Technology Transparency Project, the firm involved may have discreet links to China, where the government can monitor all user information.

The report claims that 17 apps, six from Apple's App Store, four from Google Play Store, and seven from both, have hidden connections to China, as quoted in a report by NBC News.


A new report by the Technology Transparency Project warns that 17 VPN apps, available on major app stores, may be secretly linked to Qihoo 360, a Chinese cybersecurity firm under U.S. sanctions.

Why is Qihoo 360 a concern?

Qihoo 360 is a firm sanctioned by the U.S. Commerce Department in 2020 for potential links to the Chinese military. While the apps don’t explicitly name Qihoo, corporate filings and company records suggest they are operated by shell companies acquired by Qihoo in 2019, as per a report.

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VPNs are mainly utilized to safeguard a user's privacy by complicating a website's ability to identify its visitors, or to bypass censorship restrictions. However, if a VPN provider does not implement substantial measures to automatically and permanently erase its users’ search histories, it is probable that the company will retain logs of its clients' online activities.

This is especially significant if the company is Chinese, since national legislation requires that intelligence and law enforcement agencies can access any personal data stored there without a warrant.

TTP’s Katie Paul explained that VPNs carry unique risks since they reroute all of a user’s internet activity through their servers. If those servers are controlled or accessed by Chinese-linked firms, it means user data, including sensitive work information and browsing habits, could end up in Beijing’s hands.

Justin Sherman, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council focusing on data privacy, informed that utilizing a VPN owned by China would be equivalent to surrendering one’s browsing history to Beijing, as per a report by NBC News. Experts fear user data could be accessed by Chinese authorities under China’s broad surveillance laws.

Which VPN apps were flagged earlier?

The TTP, a technology-oriented branch of the Campaign for Accountability, an investigative nonprofit aimed at uncovering "corruption, negligence, and unethical conduct," released a report on Chinese VPN applications on April 1. TTP reports that several of the VPNs are indirectly tied to Qihoo 360.

The applications are all virtual private networks, or VPNs, enabling a user to route their internet traffic through a company’s internet service. Names such as VPNify, Ostrich VPN, and Now VPN do not explicitly indicate any connections to China or Chinese ownership in the app marketplaces.

Though Qihoo 360 isn’t listed as the direct developer, many apps are operated by entities like Lemon Seed, Autumn Breeze, and Innovative Connecting all tied to Qihoo via Chinese and Cayman Islands filings.

What are Apple and Google doing about it?

Apple quickly removed three apps purportedly connected to Qihoo 360: Thunder VPN, Snap VPN, and Signal Secure VPN. Turbo VPN and VPN Proxy Master, both accessible on the Google Play Store, along with three additional options provided by Google, remain available

The findings raise important questions about who really controls these "free" VPN services and what happens to your data when you trust the wrong one.

FAQs

Can a VPN really spy on me?
Yes, if it logs your data and shares it with third parties especially if it’s tied to governments with wide surveillance powers.

Are all free VPNs risky?
Not all, but many free VPNs have vague ownership and poor privacy policies. Always research the company behind the app.