A lot of users worldwide use a VPN. And the best way to use it on the browser is by adding a VPN extension. However, not every Chrome VPN extension you install is safe, and some are legitimate spyware. In a recent finding, a reportedly Google-verified VPN extension was caught spying on its users. And this extension is way popular than you can think of.
FreeVPN, a Google-verified Chrome VPN extension accused of being spyware
Trusting anything on the internet is riskier than it seems. As per a research report published by Koi Security, the popular Chrome VPN extension, called ‘FreeVPN’, was reportedly a spyware that would spy on the user all the time.
The main point behind the VPN is to escape the restrictions and be on a ‘safer’ side. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case with the users of FreeVPN. Instead of protecting the valuable data of its users, the VPN was taking screenshots of every page that its users would visit. Yes, you heard right, every single page. These images were then sent to external sources. And where exactly these images would go is no less than a mystery. A script was being run by the extension to ensure the quality of the data capture.
It mistakenly got two Chrome awards
FreeVPN is one of the most popular Chrome VPN extensions (that later turns out to be spyware). It even managed to get two Chrome awards. It even had the Google-verified badge. Both of these further assured its users that it’s a safe-to-use VPN. But as it turns out, it was anything but safe. Now, how it managed to get those badges is perplexing, and it could be a ‘mistake’ from the tech giant.
It has over 100,000 downloads on the Chrome Store. It was believed to be a safe alternative to the paid VPN services, thanks to its badge and decent ratings. But little did its users know that it was nothing less than a privacy nightmare.
The post Google-Verified Chrome VPN Extension Exposed as Spyware appeared first on Android Headlines.
​Â
