Google has announced that it will now display security audit badges for Android VPN apps, in an effort to help users find more trustworthy applications. The badges will be prominently displayed as banners on the Google Play page of independently audited apps.
Virtual Private Network (VPN) apps have been chosen as the first recipients of this special treatment due to their handling of sensitive data and their vulnerability to subversion. The purpose of these badges is to inform users about the “Independent security review” badge located in the Data Safety Section, helping them make more informed decisions about the apps they choose.
Last year, Google expanded its partnership with the App Defense Alliance (ADA) to include the Mobile App Security Assessment (MASA), which checks Android apps for compliance with a security standard defined by OWASP. However, it should be noted that MASA is not a comprehensive audit and does not guarantee complete safety of the app. The ADA advises that MASA does not verify app developers’ safety declarations either. Despite these limitations, the MASA endorsement does hold some value, as it looks for obvious security flaws and bad practices.

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While MASA is just one of many security measures in place in the Android ecosystem, Google Play has taken a step further by making the MASA badges more visible for VPN apps. Instead of being buried in the app’s “Data safety” section, the MASA merit will be displayed through a banner near the top of the store listing. This banner will link to the App Validation Directory, a central repository where all validated VPN apps can be found. Currently, there are eight validated VPN apps listed in the directory.
Google believes that transparent security badges can have an important impact on consumer risk perception and potentially influence buying decisions. By displaying these security audit badges, Google Play aims to empower users to make safer choices when it comes to selecting VPN apps.