Google killing useful service people weren’t using because they knew Google would kill it – VPN edition
Like Google’s VPN? Too bad.
Like far too many good things that come out of Google, it is going away. There will be a Pixel VPN variant spun off, at least until they finish digging the grave for it over in the Google Graveyard.
I didn’t use Google One VPN much, and I suspect anyone seriously wanting a real VPN didn’t because it didn’t encrypt traffic while using phone data, only on Wi-Fi. A good VPN is tasked with more than just protecting you from the leaky Wi-Fi, it’s for protecting you from crappy website tracking (and your phone’s carrier,) and if I left a tab open and walked out of Wi-Fi range, well there you go. WebsiteX could now piece together who you are from advertising networks.
That said, it was a useful little took to protect while joining sus networks. Just not a service I would remotely rely on if I were doing anything that could get me tracked and killed by state-sponsored actors. I wonder if this is why it wasn’t used much.
The VPN was included as part of signing up for Google One, which I had to do when I exceeded my free Google account storage limit.
If you’re looking for a replacement for Google’s VPN please be aware that websites recommending VPN services typically make 50% commission rates referring you to a VPN service and have a $30 reason quite often to say “VPNX IS THE BEZZZT!” I did some VPN reviews a while back and realized that I could not actually test whether they worked as stated or not without committing a number of crimes for YEARS, a felony or two, or pissing off the head of some country that sanctions state-sponsored remote executions.
None of those tests did I have interest in finding out that the VPN actually kept logs or backdoors or some way to identify me.
With that in mind, I’ve used PIA as a VPN. It has sufficed. Do your research, pick your own, realize when you get a “free” one that you are paying for it one way or the other. Also support blogs that bring you things you like without them having to resort to becoming 90% advertising and VPN of the week pushers. Really, ask what commission rates are now. I had *great* financial incentive to sell out.
[9to5Google]
