VPN by Google One shuts down

Tbh at least this one makes sense, who is going to use a VPN (an internet privacy tool) from Google?
- My purpose for a VPN is more about connecting to WiFi APs I don't control. Google VPN worked just fine for that.
- who is going to use a VPN (an internet privacy tool) from Google?
  
  Exactly. That would be like using a web browser made by Google so they have direct access to your internet browsing history. Ridiculous!
- I did. Because it was free with another service I'm already paying for.
- when traveling Communist countries in Asia with google fi it was really nice to have
  
  but then they revoked my data service while charging me the same amount every month, because they said I'm traveling too much.
- My sister. No fucking idea why
- Yeah right? I have a VPN to prevent Google (amongst many others) from having too much of my data.
- People who live in countries with internet censorship?
- Do you mean a media piracy tool?
.
- I had to help out a client this week because this migration broke their website. Turns out that Squarespace's omain forwarding feature drops query params. This brokes thousands of links. Fun times.
- Oh yikes. I would’ve recommended Gandi but they were bought out too. Seems like no one wants to play the registrar game anymore.
- Yeah I’m in the same boat. I haven’t used squarespace and I have no idea if I should stay with them.
Whenever Google launches a product or service wait at least 5 years before even trying it to see if they’re serious, got it
- It's like a self-fulfilling prophecy at that point. Like Netflix with new shows.
  
  Netflix: here's this new show
  
  People: yeah you guys always cancel stuff after the first season or two, I'm not gonna get invested in something that will just get canceled
  
  Netflix: man, these viewership numbers are low. CANCELED!

At this point, I’m surprised anybody (including myself) still buys/uses Google services, given how risky it is that you’ll become dependent on them and then they kill off the product(s). I really need to get off my ass and switch mail providers.

Google mail is extremely unlikely to get shut down.

But anyway, Proton Mail allows importing e-mails from Google.
- grumbles about inbox by gmail
Most people will use whatever the default on their device is. Most phones that aren't iPhones come with Google apps and services set as default.

The only Google services I still use are YouTube and in rare cases Google Maps. But if YouTube continues to enshittify I'll stop using that. I've been using Google Maps mainly to get information about places to eat/sleep in cities, not really for navigation.
- If there wernt better YouTube frontends id probably stop using it altogether too. The base site is horrible and idk how anyone could possibly enjoy using it.
- I've found Grayjay helps me hate YouTube less
- There was a time when the Google apps just worked, the applications were optimised for UX. Maybe I've just only noticed it now but the directions (and assistant in general) aren't as useful, reliable, and filled with sponsored stuff.
  
  what do you use for navigation and how does it compare?
- What do you use for navigation?
I can recommend Proton.
- I use them but honestly having to run the bridge to use a normal email client has me pretty nonplused. I wish they’d support S/MIME too; it seems like all email is just encrypted on delivery and at least S/MIME would give you something end-to-end encrypted.
ProtonMail is pretty awesome and makes it very easy to switch.
I’m just now unravelling the last of the truly important bits of my life that are in their clutches, for that and other reasons.

Two phone numbers, a handful of documents I’ve shared over the years that probably don’t matter anyway, and a couple email addresses that I’ve been actively monitoring for months for anything important, and searches my password mgr for….

I should be free by 1 July at the outside, possibly a few days early if I don’t delay the actual deletion process. Feels fuckin great.
I'm surprised anyone uses Google services considering how they infiltrate your privacy.

A Google VPN is as private to me as giving a six year old a cardboard box and asking them but to look inside.
- Google has really masterfully re-defined privacy to mean letting them look after all your private stuff.
- Do you honestly believe that there is a mail service out there that does not record data on you?
I would recommend Fastmail. They have a fantastic app that I prefer over the iOS mail app.
The only reason I have a google account in the first place is android. You cannot use the fucking play store without one.
- aurora store.

Google: people weren't using it.

The People: you cancel literally everything you create, so why should we bother?

Remember when people were using allo and Google play music? Google doesn't.
- I loved Allo. I was really depressed to have to use Whatsapp after Google cancelled it. And one of my favorite things to do was use my Google rewards points to buy music.
  
  And they wonder why no one invests time and interest in any of their new "experimental" products.
- Allo didn't ever make sense. What about Hangouts. Hangouts worked with imessage. And also works better than allo did And also works better than aloe did at any pointat any point.
- Same for Google Inbox.
Google's business model also doesn't really fit to what VPN customers are looking for. They hardly would implement a zero log policy, for example.
Google is what the Fox network was in the 90s and 2000s.
- Let the wind blow high, let the wind blow low

Google One was a pretty sweet deal on paper.

But unfortunately, Google's superpower of making really cool things and then killing it off continues to exist.

half-arsing a product, people are hesitant to try it, due to other killed off products, google kills product. repeat
- And the more they kill the more the reputation grows
  
  Like when stadia was announced my friends and I took bets on how long it would last or if any stadia exclusive games would ever get to launch
- Product launches are the vehicle for attaining promotions at Google, allegedly. Maintenance does not get similarly rewarded, nor does launching projects and having them live on to actually be successful.
  
  When the launcher got promoted and moved on, they have to figure out whether to keep the thing around, and the answer is generally going to be no since few things can really compete with the infinite money glitch that is search ads.
And guess what , when I asked what is replacing VPN as part of services, they say they don't know and tried to move me over to 20 eur a month plan. So reducing the service and staying same prices ...

I get on my VPN to provide less data to Google. Routing my traffic through an advertising company always felt like a bad idea to me.

I've had like three primary email accounts since the dawn of the popular internet in the 90's

The first was Hotmail because that was a big deal at the time.

The second was google because the interface was slick and it came with (what was at the time) a lot of free storage.

The third is protonmail specifically because after decade+ on Google I realized they pretty much have the keys to the kingdom on my life's data. All my personal relationships and business being filtered through their inbox for a long-ass time. Just because they "know me" inside out for a significant part of my life doesn't mean I gotta just keep feeding them data indefinitely.
- How you finding protonmail compared to Gmail? The thing I like about Gmail is I can find shit in my endless history....I also love the calendar integration.

Who would use that shite?

Or are you hiring VPN and MITM combo here?

Google: trust us, we can’t see your VPN traffic. Most users: No.

But how am I going to prevent someone from hacking my Google Glass if I click the wrong link in a Google Group now?!

So no one spoke up or no one listened to guy who said "this is a bad idea, no one really trusts us"

May as well call it "Google Drive Storage Plans" again then? Aside from some dysfunctional AI features that's pretty much the only thing you get, no?

The photo ml stuff is nice but you basically have it correct.

RIP to the only VPN that reliably let you watch streaming services overseas.

Here's to enabling the OpenVPN / Wireguard feature on your router.

Queen - Another One Bites the Dust

If you don't care about "moving your virtual location" using vpns, check your router settings, you might just find an option to enable a VPN server. It'll be fast, and guess what.. It's free

Also did I mention that you control the data flowing trough it

calyx vpn is free, proton vpn is free with a subscription.
- Nordvpn is free with a yearly fee.

In Soviet Russia, GoogleOne VPN shut down you!

Didn’t they just come out with that recently?

They here for a good time, nadda long time
It's like the first sentence, dude.

The VPN was unveiled in October of 2020
- I don't even think that's right. It was a service you got for free for buying a pixel before they moved it to Google one.
Surprised?