VPNs have seen an uptick in popularity lately in the United States, largely thanks to more blocked websites, but that doesn’t mean that you should go and install the very first VPN you see listed on Google Play. For that reason, Google is implementing an extra security check so you can make sure that you’re downloading a trusted one.

Google has announced that it will now be adding a new “Verified” badge that will be shown on app listings of specific VPNs. VPN apps that feature this badge have been guaranteed by Google to not only be compliant with Google Play guidelines and requirements but have also gone through a Mobile Application Security Assessment (MASA) Level 2 validation—which means that they’re independently assessed to be as secure as the developer says they are. Basically, the badge ensures that not only the app is safe within Google Play parameters, but that it has also undergone an independent security review to make sure it’s actually safe.

Aside from completing that MASA validation, developers wanting to put one of these badges must also comply with a series of other requirements. Namely, you need an Organization level account type and you should be published on the Play Store for at least 90 days. You also need to have at least 10,000 uploads and 250 reviews, and your apps should meet target API level requirements—right now, that means that they should at least target Android 14 right now, although that could move to Android 15 in a few months when Android 16 is released to everyone.

App developers will also need to submit a Data Safety section declaration where you opt to show that your app was independently reviewed in your listing. These are not the only requirements, but Google says that fulfilling these requirements will “significantly increase” your chances of being eligible for the badge.

Google says that apps like NordVPN, Aloha Browser, and hide.me already show the badge. From what we can see from the screenshots shared by Google, Proton VPN, Secure VPN, and Thunder VPN also all feature the badge. It’s a given that most major VPN apps will feature it at some point or another unless there’s shady stuff going on with them behind the scenes. The requirements for the badge are within reach of most major developers, so it would probably be pretty easy for them to apply for the badge.

The point of this badge is pretty straightforward. The blocking of TikTok on January 19th drove a considerable amount of people to download VPNs to keep doomscrolling on the app, and while the app is back for now, there’s a chance that the Trump administration might shut it down again eventually. And VPNs have long been a popular category of apps for other reasons—maybe you want to watch geo-restricted content on your favorite streaming service, for one.

Still, there are a lot of slimy VPN apps on Google Play. Probably thousands, in fact. And unless you did your research beforehand (we have a list of our favorite VPNs), you might end up downloading one that’s not secure at all, or one that’s basically just adware. Remember that by using a VPN, you’re routing all your traffic through third-party servers, so you’ll want those servers to be secure and encrypted.

With the Verified badge, listings will clearly show whether an app has been independently verified to be secure to use. The ad situation might vary and we might still have personal preferences towards some options, but at least you’ll know that your traffic will be relatively secure once you hit Connect.

The badges will be presumably rolling out from today, so you’ll want to keep an eye on them for your next VPN download.

Source: Google