Google Is Killing Off Google One VPN

WebProNews
Google Is Killing Off Google One VPN

Add another service to the list of services Google is killing, with the company reportedly killing off its Google One VPN.

Google launched its VPN service in late 2020, expanded it to macOS and Windows in late 2022, giving all Google One users free access to the service in March 2023. Barely a year later, the company says it is killing off the service.

Google told 9to5Google that it is ““discontinuing the VPN feature as [they] found people simply weren’t using it.” The company said the decision will allow it to “refocus” and “support more in-demand features with Google One.” Google told the outlet it will discontinue the service in a few months, but gave no definitive date. The company also said the decision did not impact the free Pixel VPN service for Pixel 7 phones and later.

The news comes on the heels of Google’s discontinuation of its Podcast service, a move that has not gone over well with users.

Google’s decision also speaks to a greater issue with with the company, in which is has a well-established reputation for killing off products and leaving its users with little to no good option. In fact, the Killed by Google website lists 294 services (not including Google One VPN), that have been killed by the company.

At its core, Google is an advertising and cloud company. Virtually everything else it does is designed to support and monetize those businesses. Anything outside of those core markets—and especially services that don’t contribute to its bottom in those areas—is fair game to be killed off.

Google Is Killing Off Google One VPN
Matt Milano

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