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CNET·3 min read·medium

1 in 6 VPNs Track Your Location, According to New Report From Proton

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Aaron Pruner
1 in 6 VPNs Track Your Location, According to New Report From Proton
AI Summary

A report from Proton reveals that 64 popular VPN apps on major app stores contain trackers that collect sensitive user data. Many of these apps are linked to Chinese shell companies, posing significant privacy and security risks to users.

Why it matters

VPNs are marketed as privacy tools, but this report highlights a critical security flaw where users are unknowingly exposing their location and personal data to potential surveillance.

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According to the report, 64 VPN apps on Apple's App Store and Google Play contain trackers that collect your sensitive data; the exact opposite of what a VPN is supposed to do.

Read full bio August 27, 2026, 7:45 pm ET

With a fast VPN, your speed loss will be virtually unnoticeable.

Using a virtual private network is a surefire way to keep your information private when browsing the internet. But a new report from Proton , released on Wednesday, exposes some major holes in that concept.

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