The new VPN feature of Google aims to protect the privacy of Google One users while browsing from insecure access points.
Targeting anyone who has a tendency to connect to unsecured Wi-Fi networks in coffee shops and other public places – entering their personal information – Google is now releasing a new Virtual Private Network (VPN) directly integrated into Google One services.
Available only to customers enrolled in the Google One 2TB plan, which costs $9.99 per month, the VPN will provide an extra layer of security for Android phones by encrypting web traffic across all apps and browsers.
When enabled, the new feature prevents hackers from monitoring users' data when they are connected to public networks.
Google already offers a similar feature through Google Fi, the company. However, Fi’s always-on VPN protection is only available on Android smartphones that have signed up for Fi services.
Unsecured hotspots are ideal for hackers as they can steal any unencrypted data that is transferred over the network, from passwords to financial information via IP addresses and websites that users visit. An outdated app or a weak website, or a service that has failed to completely protect user data , can be intercepted and even modified by attackers.
When users connect to a VPN, their online data travels through a heavily encrypted tunnel managed by the VPN provider, meaning the information is unreadable and anonymous.
Google noted that in some cases, the VPN provider can still see all of the user's unencrypted traffic, such as the domain of each website they visit. Reports have effectively shown that this lack of security can be problematic, with some commercial VPN services having previously leaked user traffic , whether accidentally or not.
Google's VPN won't log any online activity, the company said, and user data won't be readable. Some minimal logging will be required from the user, but network traffic or IP associated with the VPN will never be logged. IP addresses, bandwidth used , or connection timestamps, for example, won't be recorded by Google's tool.
In an effort to demonstrate transparency, Google has open-sourced the code that runs on users' devices when using the VPN and has also committed to providing public access to the authentication mechanism running on the server in 2021.
The VPN will be rolling out in the US in the coming weeks through the Google One app for Android and can be turned on and off in the Google One app. While the VPN will not throttle users' performance, allowing speeds above 300Mbps, the feature may impact battery life .
Google confirmed that the additional encryption will consume 5% to 10% more data, which will lead to some battery drain and higher data usage.
The company expects the feature to be available on iOS, Windows , and Mac in the coming months, with the service expanding to more countries.
