According to a recent report, at least five VPN applications available on the App Store have been identified as having connections to the Chinese military, with three of them exceeding one million downloads.
A subsidiary of one of the companies involved with these apps is currently seeking to fill a position focused on “monitoring and analyzing platform data,” with an understanding of American culture required for applicants…
VPN Applications
VPN (Virtual Private Network) applications are intended to safeguard user privacy while online. They help protect against threats like man-in-the-middle attacks that exploit fraudulent public Wi-Fi networks, as well as prevent ISPs or mobile carriers from tracking users’ browsing habits.
Moreover, VPNs are often utilized to bypass geographical restrictions, allowing access to various streaming services and content that may be restricted by government regulations.
However, the integrity of VPN services heavily relies on the trustworthiness of the entities operating them. A non-reputable VPN could compromise all of your browsing information.
Five VPNs with Military Ties
A collaborative probe by the Tech Transparency Project and the Financial Times revealed that at least five VPN applications listed on both the App Store and Google Play Store are connected to a firm associated with the Chinese military.
According to a recent report from the research group Tech Transparency Project, at least five free VPNs offered by U.S. tech companies have links to Qihoo 360, a Shanghai-listed company.
Qihoo, which is officially known as 360 Security Technology, faced U.S. sanctions in 2020 over its alleged connections to the Chinese military. Subsequently, the U.S. Department of Defense added Qihoo to a list of companies linked to military affiliations in China.
Recent job postings from Guangzhou Lianchuang indicate that their apps serve over 220 countries and have around 10 million daily users. The listed positions include tasks related to “monitoring and analyzing platform data,” with an emphasis on candidates who are “well-versed in American culture.”
The five identified applications are:
- Turbo VPN
- VPN Proxy Master
- Thunder VPN
- Snap VPN
- Signal Secure VPN (not affiliated with the Signal messaging service)
Following an alert from the FT, Apple has removed Thunder VPN and Snap VPN from the App Store. The status of the remaining three applications is still uncertain.
The complete article outlines the intricate web of individuals and companies that investigators had to navigate to expose these connections.
DMN’s Perspective
Utilizing VPN applications from reputable companies is crucial; ideally, this includes providers like NordVPN that have undergone independent security audits.
VPN applications from China are typically unreliable due to laws that mandate developers maintain usage logs and make them accessible to the government. Apps that fail to comply with this regulation were removed from the App Store back in 2017.
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Photo by Engin Akyurt on Unsplash
