Microsoft is preparing to remove the VPN feature from its Microsoft 365 subscription service. Originally designed as a privacy feature, the VPN in Microsoft 365 used the Microsoft Defender app to encrypt internet traffic and hide IP addresses. Microsoft will remove this privacy feature from Microsoft 365 on February 28.
«We regularly evaluate the use and effectiveness of our features. That’s why we’re removing the privacy feature and will invest in new areas that better meet customer needs,” Microsoft said in a support note.
Microsoft 365 subscribers will still have access to identity theft protection and credit monitoring in the US, but they will have to look elsewhere for VPN support. It’s clear that the lack of people using the privacy protection feature led Microsoft to remove it. But it’s worth noting that the VPN service in Microsoft 365 was never fully functional enough to be widely used. Microsoft limited users to a 50 GB data limit per month, and the VPN automatically connected to the local region, making it impossible to bypass geographic restrictions, which is what people often use VPNs for.
Interestingly, the removal of the VPN in Microsoft 365 comes just a few weeks after Microsoft raises subscription prices for the first time in 12 years. Microsoft has added Office AI features to Microsoft 365 and raised prices by an additional $3 per month. Although users can switch to the classic plan, which keeps the existing price for personal or family subscriptions without the addition of AI features.
Source: The Verge