GOOGLE PLANS TO LAUNCH VPN SERVICE FOR CONSUMERS

 Reuters 29 October 2020

© Reuters/Hannah Mckay FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is pictured at the entrance to the Google offices in London

(Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google said on Thursday it plans to launch a VPN service for consumers, which would be available with certain subscription plans for its Google One cloud storage services.

Designed for secure internet usage, virtual private networks (VPNs) are used by individuals in countries where access to certain sites and services have been barred by governments.

Google said the VPN service will roll out in the U.S. in the coming weeks through the Google One app for Android users, with plans to expand to more countries and to iOS, Windows and Mac operating systems in the coming months.

(Reporting by Munsif Vengattil; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)