I am once again begging free VPN users to keep these privacy issues in mind following a new report

You use a VPN to keep your online activity a secret to everybody, from cybercriminals to data-hungry businesses and governments (I guess cybercriminals covered all the bases, actually). But new research has uncovered that hundreds of free VPN apps are doing a pretty rubbish job on the privacy and security front.

If you've grabbed a free VPN from a mobile app store, it could be asking for permissions it doesn't need, or feature vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers. At that point, why even bother having one? It's not really going to be majorly different from going commando.

Researchers from Zimperium zLabs conducted a study on around 800 free VPN apps on iOS and Android, concluding that many offer "no real privacy at all." This discovery really does underline the importance of going for one of the best VPN services like NordVPN, Proton VPN, Surfshark, CyberGhost, and ExpressVPN, rather than random services in app stores that promise the world and deliver nothing.

Among its other findings, Zimperium zLabs uncovered the fact that free VPNs often have unpatched libraries (causing security problems), communication flaws, and a specific weakness to Man-in-the-Middle attacks (where you think you're talking to one person, but are actually talking to another). The biggest red flag is probably the fact that these apps ask for unusual permission requests, with some even taking snapshots of your online activity. You'd get more privacy in the emperor's new clothes.

The findings of the study are pretty damning to free VPNs. We're talking about the ad-supported apps on Android and iPhone that boast secure-sounding names, but are clearly anything but. If you have one of these on your phone or tablet - or even TV - it's probably a good idea to try and find a new VPN.

Insecure mobile apps can cause a problem not just for safe online gaming, but for your employer, too. Once on your work network, these devices become part of what is known as the "attack surface" and could offer bad actors an opportunity to exploit and gain unauthorized access to the network.

If you're wondering which VPN to go for instead, our recommended partner is NordVPN, so go and sign up today. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee, so there's lots of time for you to test it out before fully committing.