Google Play adds a new verified badge for trusted VPN apps to help users find trusted services. Last year, the Google Play Store introduced a ‘Government’ badge to denote official state and government apps and now it is rolling out a ‘Verified badge’ for consumer-facing VPN apps.
Verified badge for VPN apps on Play Store:
The new Verified badge for VPN apps indicates that app developers have followed all norms and conditions to the Play safety and security guidelines. They have completed a Mobile Application Security Assessment (MASA) Level 2 validation. Level 2 validation means the app has been double-checked for security.
Users’ privacy and safety will be the priority of the app with the verified badge, as stated by Google in a blog post.
Also read: Top 5 free VPN App for Android
Regarding the new badge, Google wrote in a blog post that “This new badge is designed to highlight apps that prioritize user privacy and safety, help users make more informed choices about the VPN apps they use, and build confidence in the apps they ultimately download.”
The apps with verified badges will be displayed on specific apps’ details pages and in search results. Also, new surfaces have been built up in Google Play to showcase verified VPN apps.
Criteria to get a new verified badge on the Google Play Store
- The VPN apps with at least 10,000 installs and 250 reviews will be considered for the Verified badge.
- They need to qualify for MASA Level 2 validation by getting double-checked for security.
- Have an organization developer account type.
- The app has to be on Google Play for at least 90 days and meet target API level requirements for Google Play apps.
- And the app has to submit a ‘Data Safety Section Declaration’ opting into:
- Under Additional badges, independent security review.
- Encryption in transit.
Initially, the VPN apps that have gotten the Verified badge are-
Nord, hide.me, and Aloha Browser.
