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Google is tightening restrictions on VPNs .
The surge in VPN demand has attracted cybercriminals looking to exploit these handy tools. Instead of offering genuine protection, fraudsters are creating convincing lookalike VPN apps designed to appear trustworthy at first glance.
These malicious apps often mimic legitimate services, sometimes even appearing on official app stores with polished branding and fake reviews. Once installed, they can infect your mobile or PC, or quietly collect sensitive data in the background — ranging from browsing history to login credentials and financial information.
The scale of the problem prompted action from Google last year, including warnings about VPN apps acting as spyware and stealing user data, alongside tighter Play Store policies and efforts to remove misleading or dangerous services.
Here’s what you need to know about the crackdown and how to choose a reliable VPN that keeps your data secure without exposing you to unnecessary risks.
VPNs work by encrypting all of your online traffic before it's sent over the internet. This prevents your ISP, advertisers, hackers, and fraudsters from tracking your online activity, stealing your personal data, or placing restrictions on you | EXPRESSVPN PRESS OFFICE What happened to cause the crackdown?
Google issued an urgent security warning about fraudulent VPN apps that were actively stealing data from the gadgets they claim to protect late last year.
Google said in a statement: "These actors tend to impersonate trusted enterprise and consumer VPN brands or use social engineering lures, such as through sexually suggestive advertising or by exploiting geopolitical events, to target vulnerable users who seek secure internet access."
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network — an application that encrypts and anonymises everything you do online. It bolsters your privacy, hides your location, and stops advertisers, trackers, and even governments from keeping tabs on your online activity.
They're widely used by businesses to keep proprietary data safe from prying eyes. Whistle-blowers and journalists also rely on these apps to shield sensitive information. VPNs are also fast becoming an essential tool for everyone with a smartphone, laptop, desktop PC, streaming set-top box, or tablet.
With the surge in popularity, scammers have seized upon the opportunity — something Google wants millions worldwide to avoid.
Fraudsters are using fake apps that are rapidly spreading across multiple platforms, which are targeting billions of smartphone and computer users worldwide. Instead of safeguarding your internet connection as promised, they're actually designed to compromise your security and privacy.
Fake VPNs could have spyware, malware or ransomware, which can lock your devices, lead them to steal personal data, or even take control of your PC
| NORDVPN PRESS OFFICEWhat could happen if you download a fake VPN?
Downloading and using a "fake" or malicious VPN can have severe consequences, including compromising your security and privacy. Instead of protecting your data, you are exposing it directly to cybercriminals.
Fake VPNs could have spyware, malware or ransomware, which can lock your devices, lead them to steal personal data, or even take control of your PC.
The primary goal of many fake VPNs is data harvesting. They may have vague or non-existent privacy policies and will actively collect and sell your sensitive information to third parties, advertisers, or even government entities.
Some fake VPNs may not have dedicated servers. Instead, they might use your device's bandwidth and computing power as part of a botnet, a network of compromised devices used for malicious purposes, such as launching DDoS attacks. This will significantly slow down your internet speed and device performance.
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How to stay safe from malware
To protect yourself from these malicious applications, it's best practice to only download VPNs from official sources. Google recommends using verified app stores like Google Play, where applications display a VPN badge to confirm their legitimacy.
It's also best to avoid free VPN offers and never download apps from untrusted sources.
But if you do want to install a VPN, ExpressVPN is a great choice — a trusted and premium VPN service.
ExpressVPN is an award-winning VPN with gongs from the likes of Techradar, CNET, and Tom's Guide, with praise for its servers dedicated to fast, reliable streaming from anywhere in the world.
Monthly prices start from £1.99 a month, and unlock ExpressVPN across up to 14 devices. Once installed, connect to a UK server from ExpressVPN's network of over 3,000 servers across 105 countries.
The service uses proprietary Lightway protocol for enhanced speed and reliability, ensuring smooth streaming of festival performances.
The service works across all your devices - Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, smart TVs and streaming devices like Fire TV Stick. You can even use ExpressVPN's MediaStreamer feature to watch on devices that don't normally support VPNs, such as PlayStation or Xbox.
Protect yourself from cybercriminals
Protect your personal information and encrypt everything you do online for just £1.99 with the latest ExpressVPN deal. That equates to under 7p per day, trouncing NordVPN, its biggest competitor
ExpressVPN adds military-grade encryption across up to 10x devices, including iPhone, Android, Linux, Windows, Mac, Fire TV, and dozens more, to secure your internet traffic from prying eyes, advertisers, and governments. You'll benefit from an extra 4 months free with a two-year plan
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Benefits of ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is particularly well-suited for streaming, downloading and protecting your privacy as it boasts VPN server locations in 105 countries, providing access to global coverage.
It offers ultra-fast speeds on a 10-Gbps network, essential for high-quality streaming without buffering. With military-grade encryption, a strict no-logs policy, and features like split tunnelling and a kill switch, your online activity stays private.
Based in the British Virgin Islands — outside Five Eyes jurisdiction — it avoids mandatory data retention laws, which means that even if the company were collecting data (it's not), law enforcement from the UK and US would be unable to compel ExpressVPN to hand over any information about its subscribers.
ExpressVPN supports a wide range of devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs, and routers. There's no limit on the number of ExpressVPN apps that you can download on your devices, and with a single subscription, you can connect to the VPN on 10x gadgets at once.
It also has a dedicated team that optimises the service for major streaming platforms. Round-the-clock customer support is available if you encounter any issues during race weekend.
ExpressVPN isn't the cheapest VPN deal. However, its 30-day money-back guarantee makes it a risk-free choice for privacy-conscious users and frequent streamers. It should also give new customers the confidence to subscribe to one of its longer contracts, which unlock the biggest discounts.