Millions of downloads, zero security: how clone VPNs are gaming the Google Play Store

https://www.techradar.com/author/rene-millman· Aug 3, 2026 · 3:03 PM UTC ·9 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 3 views

#millions #downloads #zero #security #clone

TL;DR · WeSearch summary

But on Google Play, some of the top-ranking apps we audited are operating as ghost towns. For example, both USA VPN - Get USA IP and VPN Indonesia - Indonesian IP direct users to tap2free.net, which is a completely blank page.Other high-volume apps redirect to active server errors. AnonyTun directs users to an HTTP '403 forbidden' error.

Key facts

▪But on Google Play, some of the top-ranking apps we audited are operating as ghost towns.
▪For example, both USA VPN - Get USA IP and VPN Indonesia - Indonesian IP direct users to tap2free.net, which is a completely blank page.Other high-volume apps redirect to active server errors.
▪AnonyTun directs users to an HTTP '403 forbidden' error.

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TechRadar · https://www.techradar.com/author/rene-millman

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Record

Original publisher	TechRadar
Canonical URL	https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/millions-of-downloads-zero-security-how-clone-vpns-are-gaming-the-google-play-store
Publication time	Mon, 03 Aug 2026 15:03:55 +0000
Retrieval time	2026-08-03T15:05:41.269Z
Last seen	2026-08-03T15:05:41.269Z
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Excerpt source	publisher body
Excerpt method	First ~120 words (~800 chars) of extracted publisher body, fair-use limited.
Summary	WeSearch · cerebras-chat (WeSearch summarizer)
Summary source text	contentText
Citation coverage	Summary is a WeSearch-generated derivative; primary citation is the original publisher URL.
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Publisher visit	Yes — open original
Substitutes article?	No — link-out required for full text

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Indexing	May the item be indexed (stored, ranked, made findable)?	Allowed
Snippet	May a short excerpt of the publisher's text be shown?	Allowed
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Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.

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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand

VPN VPN Privacy & Security Millions of downloads, zero security: how clone VPNs are gaming the Google Play Store Features By Rene Millman Contributions by Rob Dunne, Mike Williams Published 3 August 2026 After auditing thousands of Android VPNs, here's what we discovered when looking into the details When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter When browsing the Google Play Store for a mobile VPN, downloads in the tens of millions is usually the ultimate stamp of approval.

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