New data on Android VPN downloads reveals a worrying trend that could threaten user privacy.
If you were asked to pick out the biggest players in the VPN industry, you might come up with names such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN or Surfshark. However, data shared exclusively with TechRadar Pro paints a different picture entirely. According to app intelligence company 42matters, when it comes to the most popular Android VPN services, these renowned providers are nowhere to be seen. In February, an app called VPN Master was the most popular VPN service on the Google Play Store, downloaded by more than 7 million people across the month. In second place was Speed VPN Pro with 6.7 million downloads, followed by Free VPN Tomato with 6.2 million. A common theme soon becomes apparent: all of the most popular VPN apps are free to use. Of the top 15 most downloaded Android VPNs last month, none are paid services.
