Qualify for "Independent security review" and "Verified" badges on the Play Store

GooglePlay has a few VPN "badges" that they have available for apps that are published there:

  • Play Store banner for VPNs - this gives users a simplified view of which apps have undergone an independent security validation. When a user searches for VPN apps, they will now see a banner at the top of Google Play that educates them about the “Independent security review” badge in the Data Safety Section.
  • Users also have the ability to “Learn More”, which redirects them to the App Validation Directory, a centralized place to view all VPN apps that have been independently security reviewed. Users can also discover additional technical assessment details in the App Validation Directory, helping them to make more informed decisions about what VPN apps to download, use, and trust with their data.
  • "Verified" badge is given to those apps that demonstrate a 'strong commitment to security and user privacy', to be considered for this badge, we must:
  • Adhere to the Play safety and security guidelines
  • Complete a Mobile Application Security Assessment (MASA) Level 2 validation
  • Be published in the Google Play store for at least 90 days
  • Have at least 10,000 installs and 250 reviews
  • Have an Organization developer account type
  • Have completed encryption in transit declaration