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TechRadar
Chiara Castro

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

Hand with mobile phone and VPN application, Chinese flag on laptop screen on the background.

  • 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
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