Do you trust Xi with your 'private' browsing data? Apple, Google stores still offer China-based VPNs, report says

Both Apple's and Google's online stores offer free virtual private network (VPN) apps owned by Chinese companies, according to researchers at the Tech Transparency Project, and they don't make this fact readily known to people downloading the apps.

Neither company requires all app developers in their respective stores to explicitly state where they are based, so forcing only VPN-makers to do so would provoke a lot of blowback.

However, that's a big problem for users of these VPNs, as it means the Chinese government could theoretically access communications flowing through them. Chinese law can force any China-based company to assist national intelligence agencies and share customer data with Beijing. 

In April, TTP published its initial VPN report that found 20 of last year's top 100 free VPNs in the US Apple App Store showed evidence of Chinese ownership. Five of these had ties to Qihoo ...