Google Play steps up its users’ safety game by unveiling a “Verified” badge for esteemed VPN apps. Intended to make the search for secure services effortless, these specially badged apps vouch for users’ privacy and security, the tech giant affirmed via a blog post.
The coveted badge serves as a testament that the app has satisfied the Play safety and security guidelines, and successfully completed Mobile Application Security Assessment (MASA) Level 2 validation. Essentially, this means the app’s security has undergone meticulous examination.
Besides, to qualify for the Verified badge, a VPN app must have at least 10,000 installs and 250 reviews to its name. Also, it should have graced Google Play for a minimum of 90 days and met the target API level prerequisites for apps on Google Play.
With the badge’s ease of visibility on the specific app’s details page and in search results, Google envisages that it will help the apps shine among the rest. Google Play also plans to introduce new platforms to feature verified VPN apps.
In its blog post, Google stated, “This new badge is designed to highlight apps that prioritize user privacy and safety…and build confidence in the apps they eventually download.”
This initiative follows Google’s concentrated efforts to mark safe apps on its platform. In May last year, Google Play started branding official state and federal government apps with “Government” labels.
Original source: Read the full article on TechCrunch
