The internet is huge, and it is still growing, both in size and in threats.
Microsoft has what it calls the Edge web browser, which is built on top of the Chromium, the same base as Google Chrome, but tweaks it heavily by packing it with lots of customization and features.
And this time, Microsoft is adding a VPN to the popular web browser, in order to improve the privacy and security of its users.
According to a support document, the company’s VPN service is called 'Microsoft Edge Secure Network'.
Microsoft partners with CDN provider and web infrastructure company Cloudflare to provide this VPN, noting that Microsoft doesn’t specifically refer to the feature as a VPN but much like iCloud Private Relay.
According to the Microsoft support page, Microsoft Edge Secure Network
- Encrypts connection: This encryption allows it to protect user data from online threats like hackers. Microsoft Edge Secure Network does this by routing user data through an encrypted tunnel to create a secure connection, even when users visit unsecured URL that doesn't use HTTPS.
- Helps prevent online tracking: The feature encrypts user traffic directly from the web browser. This way, Microsoft Edge can prevent internet service providers from collecting user's browsing data.
- Keeps user location private: Online entities can use location and IP address for profiling and sending targeted ads. Microsoft Edge Secure Network maintains user privacy by making users browser with a virtual IP address that masks their IP and replaces their geolocation with a similar regional address to make it more difficult for online trackers to follow them as they browse.
- Free to use: User can get 1 gigabyte of free data every month when they sign in into Microsoft Edge with their Microsoft Account. By signing in, users can also benefit from syncing ability, allowing them to sync their browsing history, favorites, settings, form fill data including addresses and more, passwords, extensions, open tabs, and collections across all signed-in versions of Microsoft Edge
When Microsoft’s Edge Secure Network is turned on, users are notified with a solid shield icon that will appear in the browser frame.
Microsoft’s Edge Secure Network is automatically turned off when user closes the browser window.
Because the purpose of this VPN-like service is to enhance user privacy, Microsoft stressed that "Cloudflare is committed to privacy and only collects a limited amount of diagnostic and support data activating as Microsoft’s data subprocessor in order to provide the services."
This diagnostic and support data is also permanently deleted after it is collected every 25 hours.
It's worth noting that initially, the feature is similar to Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 and WARP, and works pretty much the same as changing a browser's DNS.
During the time Microsoft first announced this Microsoft Edge Secure Network, the feature is still being tested to a limited number of users.
This isn't the first time a web browser embeds a VPN-like service.
Some other browser vendors like Opera already have VPN integration for more than a long time.
Competitor Mozilla also has one similar. While it isn't integrating its own VPN into Firefox, the company has made its VPN available separately to users.