Google’s app must encrypt connections to free hotspots

Google is said to be working on an application for iOS and Android that will automatically encrypt connections to hotspots, Engadget reports. In addition, it should automatically connect to hotspots.

Google’s app would make it possible to automatically connect to hotspots, without the user first seeing a captive portal in which the terms of use must be approved. In addition, users are automatically authenticated through their Google account and connections are encrypted, Engadget reports.

At the moment, connections to free hotspots are in almost all cases unencrypted, unless a user uses a VPN or ssh tunnel, for example, or surfs via https. It is not yet clear whether the app will actually be released. Nor is it clear whether users will see the terms of use when connecting to a particular hotspot for the first time, for example in the app.