- A free Android VPN application with 1m + downloads has been captured for the organization of its service on Windscribe VPN servers
- JetVPN would have started using private internet access servers (PIA) after Windscriber blocked its access
- According to Windscriber, this incident is a symptom of broader problems with Google Play
A free VPN, ranking among the most downloaded free applications of the Google Play Store with downloads of 1m +, was apparently captured Fly from Windscriber.
Classified as one of the best VPN suppliers on the market by PK Press Club criticisms, Windscriber first realized that JetVPN – a new name in the industry – used servers belonging to Windscribe to host its VPN service at the end of July.
After blocked it, JetVPN would have turned to private internet access servers (PIA) to continue to host its service.
A spokesperson from JetVPN told Techradar that the team was not aware of the situation until Windscribe reaches out. A third -party company offering a “VPN with white label” solution would have provided JetVPN servers Windscrib and Pia without the company knowing it.
“All this is essentially scammers in scams of other crooks,” said Windscriber’s CEO Yegor Sak, adding that “this is not the first time that it happens”, suggesting that this signals a wider problem with the way Google manages quality control over new applications.
VPN stolen VPN servers – How did it happen?
Windscribe and Pia are part of a handful of VPN suppliers offering unlimited devices. This means that once you have subscribed to one of these services, you can use your VPN application on all your devices simultaneously.
Although everyday users can take advantage of this policy to protect their families and friends by paying only one subscription, malicious developers can also abuse it to host their own virtual private network software (VPN) at no cost.
“The way they do it is very simple: they buy a lot of Windscriber accounts, then shared them en masse using their own application by distributing openvpn identification information,” SAK told Techradar.
Nothing to fear if you have a Windscriber or Pia account, however. As Sak explains: “This does not affect any other user of Windscriber, because they abuse their own accounts, which they paid.”
To watch
PIA also confirmed to Techradar that the team knew that a third party took advantage of its unlimited apparatus offer.
“In accordance with our conditions of use, we quickly closed the incriminated accounts,” said a spokesperson for the PIA.
When it was approached by Techradar, JetVPN said that the team had quickly stopped using Windscriber and PIA servers as soon as the supplier was in contact, removed them from its application and moved into an infrastructure entirely under the control of the company.
“We want to emphasize that JetVPN has never engaged in intentional or unauthorized use of their infrastructure – overlapping came only from the same third party supplier,” said a spokesperson for JetVPN.
A Google game problem?
At the time of writing the editorial time, JetVPN is not available on the Google Play Store. Until Friday, August 15, 2025, he was and amassed a 5 -star note in a few months. The VPN has never been available for download on the Apple App Store.
Asked about this, JetVPN told Techradar that the deletion was not directly linked to this issue.
“We are currently updating and improving our service, and we are impatient to make it available again in due time,” said a spokesperson for JetVPN, adding that it was the company’s decision to launch the application only on Android at the start.
That said, the JetVPN saga is only the last of these incidents, where the unsuccessful VPN applications have managed to access the best ranks in Google Play.
Google even launched a “checked” badge last February to help users download only secure and trustworthy services. However, this popular Google Chrome VPN free extension has recently turned out to spy on its users of 100,000, despite having obtained such a security badge.
Overall, Sak told Techradar: “Google has a serious hand problem with quality control, as well as obvious use of robots to install mass and shaded mass reviews to put them in the best lists. This is quite obvious, because this application [JetVPN] has a note of 5.0, with 5K + votes and zero written criticism. “”
As a rule, you should always avoid downloading unmarked gifts if you care about your confidentiality and your safety. If you are looking for a trustworthy application, we recommend that you check our best free VPN guide – Privado VPN, Proton VPN and Windscriber for free are the best choices today.
