讀後心得

Recent investigations reveal that five popular VPN applications are suspected to be linked to the Chinese military, potentially jeopardizing user privacy. These VPNs include Turbo VPN, VPN Proxy Master, Thunder VPN, Snap VPN, and Signal Secure VPN, all of which have been downloaded over a million times. Currently, Apple has removed Turbo VPN and Snap VPN from its store, while Google Play has yet to take any action. The investigation indicates that the developers of these apps are associated with the Chinese company Qihoo 360, which has already been sanctioned by the United States. Cybersecurity experts are worried that these VPNs might leak user data. The report also mentions that Apple had removed Chinese VPNs that did not meet privacy protection requirements back in 2017, but with the transformation of businesses, the risks have increased once again.

As more and more people use VPNs to enjoy cross-regional media, gaming, and enhanced internet security, is the VPN on your phone really safe? According to a recent international survey, five popular VPN applications are suspected to be linked to the Chinese military, with three of them surpassing one million downloads. Currently, Apple has taken down two of them, while Google Play has yet to take action, alarming many users.

Reports indicate that an investigation conducted by the UK's Financial Times in collaboration with the "Technology Transparency Project" shows that applications including Turbo VPN, VPN Proxy Master, Thunder VPN, Snap VPN, and Signal Secure VPN have development companies that trace back to the Chinese firm Qihoo 360. This company has been on the U.S. government's sanctions list since 2020 due to its close ties with the Chinese People's Liberation Army and has been marked by the U.S. Department of Defense as a "Chinese military cooperation enterprise."

The investigation also points out that at least one related development company has recently been hiring for the position of "Monitoring and Analysis Platform Data Specialist," with job requirements clearly stating the need to be "familiar with American culture," raising concerns about data collection practices targeting specific regions or users. Cybersecurity experts indicate that while these VPNs claim to protect privacy and encrypt connections, they may actually lead to the leakage of users' personal information.

Currently, Apple has removed Turbo VPN and Snap VPN, but Google Play has not yet taken any action. Experts point out that the original purpose of a VPN was to enhance internet security, prevent attacks on public Wi-Fi, and provide users with convenient cross-regional access. However, the security of a VPN highly depends on the integrity and policies of its developers. If the VPN operators cooperate with the government for monitoring, it could result in leakage of users' browsing records, IP locations, and even personal information.

The report mentions that under Apple's previous policies, all Chinese VPN applications that did not meet user privacy protection requirements have been removed since 2017. However, as some Chinese companies enter the international market through investments or by disguising themselves as overseas developers, privacy risks have once again escalated.