Technologies

Google One VPN: What you need to know about this privacy tool

Analysis: Google now includes a VPN with its cloud subscription storage service. Here are some of the privacy implications you should know.

Google’s mobile virtual private network service — Google One VPN — is branching out. Once restricted to Android users in the US, the VPN is now a perk bundled with the search giant’s cloud-based subscription storage service, Google One. Earlier this month, however, Google made a change to its developer documents, as reported by 9to5Google. Android users in Canada and Mexico gained access to the service, along with those in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.

In October 2020, when Google launched its own standalone VPN as part of its $100 annual bundle package for Google One, subscribers with a 2TB or greater account got access to the service perk for the first time. While the idea of an Android-tailored VPN conveniently rolled into a Google One mobile app might seem appealing as a quick-fix privacy option, there are more than a few privacy concerns to give you pause.

If you’re checking into Google’s service for the first time, here are a few key things to know about the mobile encryption offering.

Is Google One VPN a true VPN?

Yes. According to the tech detailed in Google’s white paper, Google One VPN acts as a traditional VPN does: It diverts all the internet traffic from your device through an encrypted tunnel, sends it through a Google VPN server and passes it along to the website you’re browsing toward — effectively hiding your browsing. It even goes a step further by separating its user authentication process from your browsing, too.

I haven’t yet tested Google One VPN, so I can’t tell you whether it can help you bypass Google’s own geoblocking on country-specific apps in the Google Play Store, or if it can help you access your home country’s Netflix catalog while you’re traveling abroad.

Is Google One VPN truly private?

As we wrote in June, Google One users simply looking for an extra layer of protection while using free public Wi-Fi could find this VPN to be a convenient fit. But there’s an elephant in the room here.

By using Google One VPN, you’re actively feeding every piece of internet-bound data on your device to Google. Then you’re trusting Google to not peek at that data, and to shield you from the same third-party tracking tech that it only stopped profiting from in March.

This is the same Google that required a lot — Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal, a lengthy legislative haranguing over privacy concerns, three major antitrust lawsuits (including a landmark case by the US Department of Justice) and another complaint by a bipartisan coalition of states — before it decided to phase out those third-party tracker cookies in its Chrome browser. Google is only just starting that process, which also doesn’t apply to mobile Google devices.

We reached out to Google, and will update this story if we hear back.

VPNs function by routing all of your data through a single company’s servers. So when we recommend VPN providers, we evaluate not only the relative strength of their encryption tech and application security, but we also examine the VPN providers’ data privacy and retention policies, and any instances where the provider has been proven to have collected or shared user browsing data.

Read more: How we evaluate and review VPNs

We frequently advise users against adopting free VPN services except when indulging in a 30-day trial of a recommended provider, primarily as a precaution against undesirable data collection by shady VPN providers and their data brokers. If any of our recommended VPN providers had even half the access to your private digital life that Google so often does, I’d advise against using that provider’s VPN to protect your privacy, regardless of how strong its encryption is.

So if you’re interested in keeping your browsing, internet traffic and usage data private from corporations and government entities, you should carefully consider Google’s long, storied history of sharing and collecting user data before you use any of its products, VPN included. Ask yourself whether it might be better to trust your data to a company whose singular aim appears to be privacy, rather than algorithm farming.

Is Google One VPN worth it?

Thanks to far-reaching gag orders and secret subpoenas, the US government has overseen the collection of more data from internet users than we can feasibly or objectively measure at this time. As such, I recommend against choosing a VPN service with a US jurisdiction, which would include Google One VPN — though it’s worth noting that non-US VPN companies are still far too opaque to operate entirely independent of user trust.

But when even Uncle Sam has to sue a VPN company over data abuse? It may be worth selecting a different fox to guard your digital henhouse.

If you’re a subscriber to the Google One 2TB plan and just looking for light protection as you browse public Wi-Fi, the Google One VPN may do the job. But if you’re looking for more robust privacy, we’d recommend subscribing to one of our tested and recommended VPNs instead.

For more, check out our picks for the best Android VPNs, the best iPhone VPNs and the best cheap VPNs.

Technologies

Verum Messenger Launches an AI Mini-Series

Verum Messenger has unveiled a new project — a mini-series created using Verum AI. The story consists of 7 episodes and will be released on the messenger’s social media channels.

The plot revolves around a global corporation seeking to take control of digital communications and a group of heroes who use Verum Messenger as a tool of resistance. Beyond the story itself, the series highlights the app’s key features, technologies, and advantages.

Combining entertainment with a showcase of the Verum ecosystem, the project presents a dynamic digital series designed for the modern era.

The first episode premieres today, with the remaining episodes to be released over time.

Stay tuned for more.

Watch on YouTube
Watch on Instagram

Technologies

Verum Finance: Earn While You Communicate — The Super App That Pays You

Verum has officially launched Verum Finance, an innovative financial application that transforms a private messenger into a true financial super app. News of the launch was also featured on the respected platform Dealroom.co.

Verum Finance can now be used both within Verum Messenger and as a standalone application for iPhone and iPad. When users sign in to Verum Finance with their Verum Messenger account, all balances, settings, and account data are automatically synchronized for maximum convenience.

Users can now do more than communicate securely and protect their data — they can also generate passive income directly within the ecosystem.

What Verum Finance Offers

• Top up your balance with a bank card, Apple Pay, or USDT
• Send money instantly anywhere in the world
• Issue and manage debit cards (virtual and physical)
• Full Apple Pay support
• Exchange assets and withdraw funds quickly

One of the most unique features is the built-in cryptocurrency mining system inside Verum Messenger.

The application utilizes your device’s resources and allows you to earn cryptocurrency in the background — passively, while chatting, traveling, or simply using the messenger.

Maximum Privacy + Real Freedom

• Registration without a phone number, email address, or passport
• End-to-end encryption and full control over your data
• Lifetime free VPN
• eSIM connectivity in more than 150 countries
• Reliable offline communication mode
• Support for 12+ languages for users worldwide

Everything is available in one place: secure communication, financial tools, earning opportunities, and privacy protection.

Users can access the full experience directly within Verum Messenger or switch to the dedicated Verum Finance app for iOS. All data is synchronized automatically between the two applications.

Why Download Verum Today

While many messaging platforms collect user data and expose users to restrictions, Verum offers greater independence and the opportunity to earn.

With a one-time purchase of the feature package, users receive lifetime access to privacy tools, VPN, eSIM services, cryptocurrency mining, and financial features.

This is more than just a messenger.

It is your personal tool for financial and digital freedom.

Download Verum Finance and Verum Messenger today — start communicating securely and begin earning tomorrow.

Download Links:

→ App Store (iPhone / iPad): Verum Finance
→ App Store (Verum Messenger): Verum Messenger

Technologies

Verum Finance: A Super App for Private Finance Integrated Into a Messenger

Verum Finance has announced the launch of a new financial application that allows users to manage their money directly within the secure Verum Messenger ecosystem.

The project has already attracted attention from major media outlets. A dedicated feature was published by Forbes Türkiye, while one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, MEXC, covered the launch. Yahoo Finance had previously reported on the evolution of Verum Messenger into a comprehensive financial ecosystem.

What Verum Finance Offers

Verum Finance transforms a messenger into a complete financial platform. Users can:

• Manage their balance and top up using bank cards or USDT
• Send money instantly to other Verum users
• Issue and use debit cards, including Apple Pay support
• Exchange assets and withdraw funds
• Access all these services without installing separate banking applications

A strong emphasis is placed on privacy. The platform offers registration without a phone number or email address, end-to-end encryption, and full user control over personal data.

Recognition from Forbes Türkiye

In a dedicated article, Forbes Türkiye highlighted Verum Finance as a notable example of modern privacy-driven fintech. The publication emphasized the growing trend of financial services moving from standalone banking applications into unified messaging ecosystems — a model that has proven successful in Asia through platforms such as WeChat and Alipay and is now expanding globally.

Support from the Crypto Community

Alongside the Forbes Türkiye coverage, news about the launch of Verum Finance was also featured by MEXC, one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges. This reflects growing interest in the project from both traditional business media and the cryptocurrency community.

A Strategic Vision

“We are building more than a payments application and more than a messenger. Verum is a unified secure ecosystem where communication, finance, and privacy tools work together,” the company stated.

Verum Finance is now available for iPhone and iPad users. The application complements Verum Messenger, which offers anonymous chats, voice and video calls, VPN services, eSIM connectivity, and other tools designed to enhance digital freedom.

Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im

Verum Messenger: https://verum.im