Final month, Microsoft announced that it was growing the costs for shopper Microsoft 365 plans for the primary time since introducing them as Workplace 365 plans greater than a decade in the past. Microsoft is utilizing new Copilot-branded generative AI options to justify the value will increase, which quantity to an additional $3 monthly or $30 per 12 months for each particular person and household plans.

However Microsoft giveth (and chargeth extra) and Microsoft taketh away; in keeping with a support page, the corporate can be eradicating the “privateness safety” VPN function from Microsoft 365’s Microsoft Defender app for Home windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Different Defender options, together with id theft safety and anti-malware safety, will proceed to be accessible. Privateness safety will cease performing on February 28.

Microsoft did not say precisely why it was eradicating the function, however the firm implied that not sufficient individuals had been utilizing the service.

“We routinely consider the utilization and effectiveness of our options. As such, we’re eradicating the privateness safety function and can put money into new areas that can higher align to buyer wants,” the help observe reads.

Chopping options on the similar time that you just elevate costs for the primary time ever is just not, as they are saying, a Nice Look. However the Defender VPN function was already a bit restricted in comparison with different devoted VPN providers. It got here with a 50GB per person, monthly information cap, and it routinely excluded “content material heavy site visitors from respected websites” like YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Fb, Instagram, and Whatsapp.