Google has introduced a safety badge on the Play Store to indicate which virtual private network (VPN) apps have been tested by an independent third party.
Only VPN apps that submit to and pass the Mobile App Security Assessment (MASA) will have the “Independent security review” badge on the Play Store, Google said on Nov. 2.
“While certification to baseline security standards does not imply a product is free of vulnerabilities, the badge associated with these validated apps helps users see at-a-glance that a developer has prioritized security and privacy practices and committed to user safety,” Google explained.
Google plans to extend the new security badge to other types of apps in the future. “We’ve launched this banner beginning with VPN apps due to the sensitive and significant amount of user data these apps handle,” the tech giant’s blog post said.
This is a welcome move for the world’s largest app store as threat actors continue to find ways to slip malicious apps past Google’s Play Store security checks.
Google’s New Security Badge
Now, when you search for VPNs on the Play Store, you will find a banner explaining that apps with the “Independent security review” badge have been “independently validated against a global security standard.”
You can click “Learn more” on the banner to see a list of apps that have Google’s new security badge. At the time we checked, only a handful of apps were listed, including NordVPN, Google One, Private Internet Access, and ExpressVPN.
The Mobile App Security Assessment (MASA), introduced in 2022 by the App Defense Alliance (ADA), measures an app’s adherence to security and privacy best practices. MASA aligns with the OWASP Mobile Application Security project’s aims to “Define the industry standard for mobile application security.”
“We encourage and anticipate additional VPN app developers to undergo independent security testing, bringing even more transparency to users,” Google said. VPN developers who want to submit their apps for independent security review can fill out this form.
Keeping the Play Store Safe
Google is on a mission to make the Play Store more secure and weed out malicious apps.
Beyond the badge, Google also detailed its other efforts to maintain a secure Play Store, like its PolicyBytes videos, the Developer Help Community, and providing developers with a suite of tools and resources to comply with Google’s stringent policies.
“We are continually working on improvements to our app review process, policies, and programs to keep users safe and to help developers navigate our policies with ease,” Google said.
Read our guide to the best VPNs for Android to learn about the key requirements our experts look for when choosing a VPN app.
Check out Google’s latest PolicyBytes video:
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