Microsoft has announced the removal of its free VPN feature, known as “Privacy Protection,” from the Microsoft Defender app for Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers. The change took effect on February 28, leaving users without the VPN feature as part of their Microsoft 365 subscription. Despite this removal, Microsoft continues to offer device protection, identity theft, and credit monitoring features with its subscription packages.
The Privacy Protection feature, available on Windows, iOS, and macOS, was introduced as a perk of Microsoft 365 subscriptions. However, it faced limitations such as a 50GB monthly data cap, resulting in reduced speeds of 256kbps upon exceeding the cap. Additionally, users could not select their preferred region, and the feature was incompatible with video streaming, social media, or music streaming apps. Android users are required to manually remove the VPN profile by navigating to Settings > VPN on their devices.
Microsoft’s Strategic Decision and Subscriber Response
“Our goal is to ensure you and your family remain safer online. We routinely evaluate the usage and effectiveness of our features. As such, we are removing the privacy protection feature and will invest in new areas that will better align to customer needs,”
— Microsoft
The decision to remove the VPN feature comes amid Microsoft’s strategic shift towards investing in new areas that better meet customer needs. The timing coincides with Microsoft’s recent price hike for Microsoft 365 plans, the first increase in over a decade. This change has raised questions among subscribers about the value proposition of their current plans.
Microsoft assures users that other protective measures remain intact within the Defender app. For iOS users, web protection (anti-phishing) continues to utilize a VPN to safeguard against harmful links.
“Defender for iOS users, please note [that] web protection (anti-phishing) on iOS uses a VPN to help keep you safer from harmful links,”
— Microsoft
What The Author Thinks
Microsoft’s decision to remove the VPN feature from its Defender app could be seen as a step back in consumer data protection, especially amid rising cybersecurity threats. However, by reallocating resources to potentially more effective security measures, Microsoft may be prioritizing broader, more impactful user safety over a single feature. Users must now weigh the overall benefits of their subscriptions and possibly seek additional privacy tools to fill the gap left by the VPN’s removal.
Featured image credit: Trusted Reviews
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