Huge study finds trackers inside 85% of mobile VPN apps examined in U.S. app stores
Huge study finds trackers inside 85% of mobile VPN apps examined in U.S. app stores
Confirmed research — Proton VPN, published August 27.
Proton analyzed more than 7,000 mobile VPN applications worldwide. In its U.S. dataset, it says 85% of VPN apps contained trackers, while 64 apps collected physical-location information through GPS or related geolocation mechanisms.
The study also found opaque ownership structures among some VPN providers. Because Proton itself operates a VPN service, its conclusions should be understood as vendor-produced research, although the underlying findings are concrete enough to warrant attention rather than treating Proton's competitive recommendations as independent advice.
Why it matters: This is an excellent addition to your VPN/privacy wiki. “Uses encryption” does not automatically mean “privacy-respecting.” Beginners should consider ownership transparency, independent audits, logging policies, trackers in the client, open-source availability and the provider's business model—not simply install whichever free VPN ranks highest in an app store.
Posted Sep 2, 2026, 12:40 PM UTC