Google’s actions targeted two residential-proxy networks that routed traffic through ordinary people’s devices. The operations disrupted the networks and reduced the devices available to them; they did not mean Google physically removed millions of phones or streaming boxes. Google’s reports describe action against IPIDEA in January 2026 and NetNut, also known as Popa, in July 2026.
What Google disrupted
IPIDEA and NetNut/Popa operated residential-proxy networks. A residential proxy sends a customer’s internet traffic through an internet connection assigned to a home or other consumer device. To outside services, that traffic can appear to come from an ordinary residential IP address rather than from the person directing it.
Google said it disrupted IPIDEA by taking down its online storefront, pursuing legal action, sharing technical research, and using Google Play Protect to warn about or block apps containing IPIDEA code. In July, Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) described a separate, coordinated operation against NetNut/Popa with the FBI, Lumen, and other partners. Google presented that action as part of its continuing effort to dismantle malicious residential-proxy networks.
These operations were aimed at the networks and the services and apps that helped supply them with devices. They did not establish that every device associated with a proxy SDK was maliciously used, nor that every device was identified or removed.
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How ordinary devices became proxy nodes
Apps that bundled proxy software
IPIDEA paid app developers, typically per download, to include its proxy software development kits (SDKs) in applications, according to CyberScoop’s January 30, 2026 report. An SDK can add proxy functionality to an app. When a device runs software containing that component, its internet connection may be enrolled as a route for other people’s traffic.
Pre-installed software on connected devices
Google also described malware pre-installed on connected hardware as an enrollment route, identifying home devices such as smart TVs and streaming boxes. The device owner might not realize that the internet connection was being used as an exit node.
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Once traffic passed through an enrolled device, its owner’s residential IP address could be used to obscure the origin of activity such as hacking, password spraying, espionage, or other criminal activity. That does not by itself show that the device owner knew about, approved, or carried out that activity.
IPIDEA and NetNut/Popa: what is known
| Network | Disruption and reported action | Reported scale or effect |
|---|---|---|
| IPIDEA | Google announced its disruption in January 2026. It said it took down the network’s online storefront, pursued legal action, shared research, and used Play Protect against apps containing IPIDEA code. | Lumen Black Lotus Labs, as quoted by CyberScoop in 2026, estimated 8.5 million daily proxies before the takedown and 10–11 million devices in IPIDEA’s true population. Its initial post-disruption data indicated an approximately 40% reduction, while about 5 million bots were still communicating afterward. |
| NetNut/Popa | In July 2026, Google said it acted with the FBI, Lumen, and other partners. It disabled accounts and associated services used for malware command and control, shared technical intelligence, and configured Play Protect to warn users about and disable apps known to include NetNut SDKs. | GTIG estimated at least 2 million devices in the network. In one week in June 2026, it observed 316 distinct threat clusters using suspected NetNut exit nodes. |
The figures describe different things: daily proxy availability, an estimated device population, bots still communicating, a percentage change, and observed threat clusters. They come from different measurement systems and should not be added together or treated as a single confirmed infection count.
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Why disruption does not prove the network is gone
Google characterized its NetNut operation as causing significant degradation and reducing the available device pool by millions—not as permanently eradicating the network. Google also warned that operators can buy capacity from competitors and that proxy services may return through resellers. As GTIG’s Charley Snyder told CyberScoop, the ecosystem includes “dozens, if not hundreds, of brands and shell entities.”
Taking down a storefront or disabling particular accounts can make it harder to market a service and coordinate infected devices, but those steps do not necessarily remove every app, device, reseller, or related service. The IPIDEA figures themselves show that bots were still communicating after the initial disruption.
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What Android and streaming-device owners should do
- Avoid bandwidth-sharing offers. Be cautious of apps that promise payment for “unused bandwidth” or invite you to “share your internet.”
- Prefer official app stores. Google recommends sticking to official app stores rather than installing apps from untrusted sources.
- Review VPN and proxy apps. Check whether third-party VPN or proxy apps are ones you intentionally installed and trust, and review the permissions they request.
- Keep Play Protect active. Google recommends leaving the built-in protection enabled. Play Protect may warn about or disable apps identified as containing the relevant SDKs.
- Check connected-device credentials. For a set-top box or similar device, Google recommends choosing a reputable manufacturer and checking whether the device is Android TV and Play Protect certified.
Can you tell whether your device was in IPIDEA or NetNut?
Google’s public reports do not provide a definitive consumer self-test that proves whether a particular phone, TV, or streaming box was previously enrolled in either network. A Play Protect warning is actionable information about an app it identifies, but the reports do not establish that the absence of a warning proves a device was never involved.
For a warning or suspicious app, follow the instructions shown by Play Protect and remove apps you do not recognize or trust. If a connected device’s software or certification status is unclear, consult its manufacturer’s support information. A factory reset, antivirus scan, or router replacement is not established by these reports as proof that a device was or was not part of either network.
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