For those who have been counting on Microsoft’s Defender VPN, it is time to discover an alternate – Redmond is shutting it down on the finish of the month.
The heartbreak could be restricted: Customers had a 50GB knowledge cap per calendar month – after which speeds have been throttled to a painful 256 Kbps. On Android and iOS, Microsoft robotically excluded sure apps from utilizing the VPN tunnel, together with WhatsApp, Fb video, YouTube, TikTok, Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video. Customers additionally could not use it to bypass area restrictions for main streaming providers.
“Our aim is to make sure you, and your loved ones stay safer on-line,” Microsoft mentioned on its help web page.
“We routinely consider the utilization and effectiveness of our options. As such, we’re eradicating the privateness safety characteristic and can spend money on new areas that may higher align to buyer wants.”
Microsoft could also be axing the privacy-focused VPN, however Defender’s net safety on iOS will nonetheless depend on a VPN for anti-phishing. Microsoft 365 subscribers within the US are nonetheless lined by credit score monitoring, as much as $1 million in id theft insurance coverage for authorized and skilled charges, and as much as $100,000 in reimbursement for stolen funds.
For Defender VPN customers, the subsequent step is discovering a brand new supplier, in all probability one that permits extra flexibility than Microsoft’s try. Home windows, iOS, and macOS customers need not do something – Defender VPN will simply cease working. Android customers, nonetheless, might want to manually take away the VPN profile from their system.
Microsoft’s not the one tech titan that has deserted homegrown VPN providers. In 2024 Google discontinued its personal VPN service, citing lack of demand. ®
