Which VPNs Can You Trust in 2025: Practical Guide

2025 is all about online privacy and data security. Recent investigations have revealed that some of the most popular VPN apps on the market are secretly owned by Chinese corporations, including at least one company that has been placed on a US blacklist and classified as a Chinese military affiliate. These revelations mean one thing: knowing exactly who’s behind your VPN provider and where they’re headquartered is ultra important.

In this article, we’ll explore which VPNs you can genuinely trust in 2025, and why understanding a provider’s background is critical. We’ll also offer a straightforward checklist to help you identify a secure, transparent VPN service.

Background: the evolving VPN landscape in 2025

In the last 10 years the demand for VPNs has gone through the roof. Governments around the world have stepped up their digital surveillance game and users are looking for online anonymity for everything, from casual browsing to sensitive political or journalistic work. At the same time, the widespread adoption of streaming services and georestricted platforms has made VPNs a household name as people want to access content from different regions.

But 2025 has brought new challenges to the VPN world. Investigations have found that many top-rated VPNs, often with millions of downloads, aren’t as transparent about their ownership or data handling as users assume. In some cases these services are owned by companies with ties to countries under scrutiny for heavy digital surveillance.

This evolving environment has forced both casual and savvy users alike to become more discerning. In an era marked by data leaks, blacklists, and global attention on companies’ political affiliations, choosing a reputable VPN is no longer just a matter of software features, it’s also about understanding corporate ethics and jurisdictions.

The Chinese-owned VPN agents

One of the most striking news in 2025 has been the uncovering of hidden links between popular VPN services and Chinese corporations. Investigations have revealed that several well-known apps often marketed under innocuous or Western-sounding names trace back to parent companies operating from mainland China or through shell entities in locations like Hong Kong or the Cayman Islands. Particularly concerning is the fact that at least one of these parent organizations, Qihoo 360, has been blacklisted by US authorities and labeled a Chinese military company.

These revelations cast a shadow on the level of privacy and security users can expect from certain VPN apps. When an organization with potential state or military affiliations manages the servers, there’s a heightened risk that user data might be monitored, logged, or shared. 

Notably, some VPNs were found to be among the top-100 mobile VPN applications downloaded from Apple’s App Store, indicating their widespread use and potential impact on a large number of users:

Turbo VPN

This app was developed by Innovative Connecting Pte. Ltd., a company registered in Singapore. While the initial registration might seem like a distance from Chinese entities, further digging reveals a deeper connection. Innovative Connecting is actually owned by Lemon Seed, which is registered in the Cayman Islands. The key link to China has been observed in Lemon Seed’s acquisition of a majority stake in Turbo VPN in 2019. This acquisition put Turbo VPN under a Chinese entity. 

Adding to the concern, Qihoo 360 has been listed as a Chinese military company by the US Department of Defense and was added to the US Entity List in June 2025 due to its involvement in activities contrary to US national security interests. This designation means government influence and huge security risks for Turbo VPN users. 

Although there was an asset divestment in March 2025 believed to include Lemon Seed, there is a continued link between the two companies. This is evident in the filings in March 2025 that list Chen Ningyi as the sole director of the divested entity. Chen Ningyi is also listed in a Qihoo 360 patent in 2017 and seems to be a general manager of Qihoo’s mobile security app, 360 Mobile Guard. The continued involvement of a key person associated with Qihoo 360 in the divested entity raises doubts on the true independence of the new ownership structure. 

Moreover, Turbo VPN was marketed in the US to Spanish-speaking users as a way to bypass potential restrictions on the Chinese-owned social media, TikTok. This marketing strategy, while targeting privacy-conscious users, may hide the underlying security risks of the VPN’s Chinese ownership.

VPN Proxy Master

This is another VPN service developed by Innovative Connecting Pte. Ltd.. So VPN Proxy Master shares the same ownership structure and links to Qihoo 360 and, by extension, the Chinese military as Turbo VPN. The fact that multiple VPNs operate under the same compromised ownership is a pattern and amplifies the impact of any security vulnerabilities or potential data breaches.

Thunder VPN

Like Turbo VPN and VPN Proxy Master, Thunder VPN was developed by Innovative Connecting Pte. Ltd.. So Thunder VPN is also under the same ownership and links to Chinese entities through the acquisition of Lemon Seed by Qihoo 360.

Snap VPN

Not as popular as the above VPNs and not in the top-100 downloaded apps, Snap VPN is also a product of Innovative Connecting Pte. Ltd.. So it has the same links to Chinese companies via its parent company.

Signal Secure VPN

Like Snap VPN, Signal Secure VPN is another app developed by Innovative Connecting Pte. Ltd.. So Signal Secure VPN also has the same underlying links to Chinese ownership through the chain of ownership to Qihoo 360.

In summary, at least several popular VPN apps share the same ownership through Innovative Connecting and its parent company, Lemon Seed, which was acquired by Qihoo 360. A Chinese company listed by the US government as a military entity, this raises huge concerns about user data being accessed or compromised. The continued involvement of individuals associated with Qihoo 360 in the divested entity means the separation might not be as clean as it seems.

Users of these VPNs might be unknowingly routing their Internet traffic through infrastructure controlled by a company with reported ties to the Chinese military, which has huge implications to their data privacy and security. The acquisition of Lemon Seed, the owner of Innovative Connecting, by Qihoo 360 directly links these VPNs to a Chinese entity with national security concerns. This means the data handled by these VPNs is subject to Chinese laws and regulations, which compromises user privacy.

The importance of provider transparency

When you connect to a virtual private network, you entrust your personal data, including browsing history and connection details, to the hands of a third party. The technical promises of encryption and anonymity can only be fulfilled if the service owner acts in good faith. Provider transparency, therefore, becomes a critical factor: users need to know not just what the VPN can do, but also who is running it and under which jurisdiction.

A transparent VPN provider will openly disclose its corporate structure, physical headquarters, and any parent or sister companies. It will also publish clear privacy policies, often including independent security audits and no-logs certifications. By contrast, when companies hide behind shell corporations or are ambiguous about their location, it becomes nearly impossible to verify how data is collected, stored, and shared or whether a government could compel them to hand over logs.

Finally, transparency extends to public disclosures of incidents. Reputable VPNs make it paramount to inform customers if they experience data breaches or server intrusions, and they frequently update users about any changes to their security infrastructure. These actions form the backbone of trust. In times where even major providers can conceal ties to potentially intrusive governments, due diligence is more than a best practice, but an essential step toward maintaining genuine online privacy. How can you ensure your VPN provider doesn’t track you? Bear with us to know the answer! 

How to choose a reliable VPN: your 2025 checklist

Follow these simple steps to be sure you don’t use a VPN app that has a Chinese Communist Party hidden behind its shoulders: 

🫣Look beyond the download numbers. A VPN’s popularity on app stores doesn’t necessarily reflect its reliability or trustworthiness. Major marketing pushes or free trials can inflate user counts. Always weigh in store reviews with independent research or reputable tech publications.

🫣Verify the provider’s jurisdiction. Avoid VPNs headquartered in countries with invasive data retention laws or widespread government surveillance. Privacy-friendly locations such as Panama, Switzerland, or the British Virgin Islands often grant providers more freedom to uphold strict no-logs policies.

🫣Scrutinize logging practices. If a provider claims no logs, ask for proof. Look for publicly available, third-party audit reports verifying the provider’s logging policy. Companies that have never released any form of audit may be less transparent about data handling.

🫣Assess security features. Best practices in 2025 include at least AES-256 encryption, a Kill Switch to prevent data leaks, DNS leak protection, and multi-platform support (desktop, mobile, and browser extensions). A bonus is multi-hop or double VPN routing, which adds an extra layer of privacy.

🫣Beware of “too good to be true” offers. Free or heavily discounted VPNs can be tempting, but they may monetize your data, show intrusive ads, or have hidden ownership ties. If privacy is your top priority, consider investing in a reputable paid service that outlines how it sustains its operations without exploiting user data.

🫣Evaluate corporate structure and transparency. Providers that disclose parent companies, leadership teams, and ownership transfers demonstrate accountability. If corporate filings are difficult to trace, that could be a bad sign.

🫣Stay updated on provider news. A trusted VPN will keep users in the loop about software updates, emerging security threats, and relevant legal challenges. Frequent communication and transparency indicate a serious commitment to user privacy.

Again, we highly recommend avoiding using free VPNs. No matter whether they are Chinese-based or not, they won’t guarantee you reliable protection as they lack top-tier encryption technologies and commonly collect data for selling to third parties. Instead, consider using VeePN, a premium VPN service with a wide range of security features that can ensure your Internet privacy and online security. 

Wonder why VeePN is a go-to option? Keep on reading to learn! 

Why VeePN is a reliable option

VeePN is an all-in-one cybersecurity application that, unlike the above-mentioned VPN providers, doesn’t have any connections with China and adheres to a strict privacy policy. What’s more, VeePN offers such advantages as:

👐No Logs policy. We are committed to a policy of not collecting and using your personal information for any purposes. 

🇵🇦Panama jurisdiction. VeePN is registered in Panama and has no connection to Chinese laws and government regulations. No government obliges us to share user data. Your privacy is your fundamental right, and our duty is to protect it. 

🔐Military-grade encryption. Since VeePN uses AES 256-bit encryption, you can be sure your personal information won’t leak. Even if online snoopers manage to intercept your Internet traffic, they won’t be able to read a bit of your data. 

🛡️Additional security tools and features. In addition to basic VPN features, VeePN offers such security tools as Breach Alert, Alternative ID, and Free Online SMS to make sure you have all-around protection against hackers, tracking, malware, and other cyber threats. 
Download VeePN now and protect up to 10 devices with one subscription!

Written by VeePN Research Lab VeePN Research Lab is dedicated to provide you latest posts about internet security and privacy.

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