from the please-tell-me-when-I-can-have-my-privacy dept.
Microsoft Edge Is Getting a Built-In VPN:
Following Google One's VPN and Apple's Private Relay, Microsoft's Edge Secure Network joins the ranks of top tech names offering virtual semi-private networks.
Microsoft Edge browser will be getting a built-in virtual private network soon, as revealed on a Microsoft support page Thursday. To get your monthly 1-GB ration of free VPN service, though, you'll have to sign into Edge with your Microsoft account. The VPN service, powered by Cloudflare, is part of a larger Microsoft security push and is currently still in development. The service has several privacy caveats, however.
From the Microsoft announcement:
Note: A Microsoft Edge sign-in is required to track free data usage and access Secure Network every month. All bandwidth data that is required to provide the Microsoft Edge Secure Network service is automatically deleted at the end of the required service window.
The other services mentioned:
Google One
Apple iCloud Private Relay
Having it built into the browser looks appealing, but it isn't obvious that one is permitted to choose the location of their VPN server with these services, which makes them less useful than other VPN solutions. However, are they worth considering if you're spending the afternoon with your laptop at the local coffee shop working on your soon-to-be-famous screenplay?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 08 2022, @02:55AM (2 children)
With lets encrypt and most things being on https. Why do we need a vpn like this? To hide the ip of sites you go to?
(Score: 5, Informative) by inertnet on Sunday May 08 2022, @08:27AM
It's the opposite. It is to log the sites you go to. They want more control, not less.
(Score: 2) by pkrasimirov on Sunday May 08 2022, @09:30AM
People use VPN to tunnel their traffic via chosen point in the world (VPN server). This is mostly done to avoid geofencing by the target server. I can imagine in some countries this can also be desired to avoid ISP traffic blocking or deliberate degradation, e.g. VoIP, streaming or torrents.
Now the benefit of using VPN without being able to select the VPN server is questionable.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Sunday May 08 2022, @03:31AM
Hey, some people like living on ... fewer choices.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 08 2022, @04:25AM (1 child)
Okay, what about other logs of your actions while using the VPN? That 1 GB isn't really free. If you're not paying for it, someone else is. The obvious way is to collect data about your traffic and use it to serve ads. Microsoft also says they store "minimal support data" but don't really indicate what that means. My definition of "minimal" might well be different than yours. Perhaps Microsoft isn't keeping more extensive logs of user actions, but I don't trust them because of how they worded their announcement and their history of nefarious behavior.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by canopic jug on Sunday May 08 2022, @09:19AM
Given the bloated nature of most of today's web sites [raspberrypi.com], 1GB of data won't get you very far and M$ will probably charge through the nose for extra data. As such it looks like a sleazy attempt to reduce economic losses in that department somewhat, or another effort which will fall on its face, or both.
Speaking of losses, Edge, which is just a proprietary respin of Chromium, is losing market share. Stats Counter is showing a steady decline in an already tiny market share for M$ Edge [statcounter.com]. So the article is probably just a distraction from the declining presence.
Money is not free speech. Elections should not be auctions.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 08 2022, @06:22AM (1 child)
HAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHHA
When the time comes, M$ will be in the front waiting to scan your microchip implant, tied to your M$ account of course, for your "rations."
Do the Novell victory dance, Ballmer, I know you can! Hey Gates, suck my cock.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 08 2022, @04:14PM
I have an NFT of a bridge I'd like to sell you.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Sunday May 08 2022, @03:31PM (5 children)
I'll stick with PIA, spank you very much: I don't use Windows, I don't use social media and I don't like tracking... why in all sanity would you use this?
Microsoft is the devil... why oh why side with the devil?
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 3, Funny) by maxwell demon on Sunday May 08 2022, @04:25PM (3 children)
Not? Then who wrote that comment?
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Gaaark on Sunday May 08 2022, @06:08PM (2 children)
I don't call this social media: this is more a 'social' group of mostly intelligent people where very little is tracked because that's the way the mostly intelligent group wants it, not the way a corporation wants to feed the immense tracking to sheeple who love the 'shiny'.
Apply that to Facebook all you want: the puzzle piece just won't fit.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Monday May 09 2022, @04:28PM (1 child)
Yep, it's only bad when other people do it. What we're doing is totally right and proper and definitely not that social crap all those OTHER get involved with....
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Tuesday May 10 2022, @09:51PM
tracks you and advertises to you and tries to influence you from the 'control' side (the website owners).
In what possible way does SN track/advertise/influence you from the 'control' side.
Now, if you're talking about badness from the users, that's another story.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 09 2022, @06:34PM
the Jews bought PIA, FYI.
(Score: 3, Informative) by bradley13 on Sunday May 08 2022, @05:56PM
I use a VPN for things I would prefer not be logged. Obviously, this means I have to trust the VPN, which I do to a limited extent. The main thing is: I *pay* for the VPN, so I have some hope that I am the customer, and not the product.
Trust MS? Um, no. Trust a free service? Also, no. Trust a free service from MS? You can't be serious?!
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Joe Desertrat on Monday May 09 2022, @12:57AM
Of course everything you do will now run through a Microsoft server especially set up for this "service".
By deleted they likely mean sent to be analyzed or sold. There's no reason they couldn't tally up a total for usage each day, indeed one can bet their billing will show this. Not that they couldn't sell that as well. No matter how they word it, you are trusting your data and privacy to Microsoft. History suggests neither will be safe.