These free VPNs may have ties to China’s military – and they are still hidden in Apple and Google app stores

• New research found that Apple and Google keep offering VPN apps without revealing their Chinese ownership
• At least five may have ties with a Shanghai-based firm believed to have links with the Chinese military
• Experts first uncovered this threat in April 2025

At least 17 China-linked free VPN apps may still be hidden in Apple and Google app stores, and big tech could be making a profit – as revealed by new research.

In April, experts at Tech Transparency Project (TTP) first uncovered that millions of free VPN users across 20 apps may have sent their data to China without knowing it. Five of these were reported to have ties with Qihoo 360, a Shanghai-based firm believed to have links with the Chinese military.

Now, about six weeks later, TTP researchers have found that most of these VPNs are still available in the US Apple and Google app stores. They also ...