F-Secure has announced the launch of an anonymised connection, tracking, browsing and malware protection app for iOS and Android.
The Finland-based security company said its cloud-based Freedome app does not collect any user information or require registration to use its services. The app’s Connection Protection runs on VPN technology, encrypting email traffic and browsing when a consumer is using public Wi-Fi networks. It also blocks web and in-app tracking, which F-Secure said will reduce the amount of targeted adverts sent to a consumer.
Freedome also allows consumers to set their IP address to a virtual location in the US, the UK, Germany or Finland, with more regions to follow. The vendor said that by masking the IP address, consumers can access content from their own country that may be restricted when they travel. The app also includes virus and browsing protection to safeguard against attempts to access financial or personal details.
F-Secure said that it has no access to traffic, usernames or contact details on a user’s device that runs Freedome. The app has launched in the US, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Russia on Android 4.0.3 and later versions as well as iOS 7.0 and above. In the UK, monthly subscriptions cost £2.99 or customers can pay £20.99 for a year’s subscription.
Samu Kottinen, Executive Vice-President, Consumer Security at F-Secure, commented: “Some say that loss of privacy is simply the price we pay to live in the digital age. We say, no way. We’re Finns who love technology and privacy, and we say both can exist together.”
Operators and vendors have been releasing a glut of security products, amid fears about data following the NSA hacking relevations. The UK’s four major mobile operators teamed up with the GSMA to release an anti-spam service this month, for example.
Earlier in March, Deutsche Telekom released a suite of new products, including a cloud-based encryption app that hides voice and texts.
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