Privacy researcher debunks Microsoft Edge’s free VPN marketing, says it’s “NOT a VPN”

A privacy researcher has debunked Microsoft Edge's free VPN marketing, stating that the Edge Secure Network VPN is not a traditional VPN but rather an HTTP CONNECT proxy built on Cloudflare's platform. The feature operates as a browser-level protection tool within Edge, encrypting traffic and providing privacy while browsing. However, it has limitations such as a 5GB monthly data cap and exclusion of certain high-bandwidth services like video streaming. The researcher's critique highlights concerns about the feature's functionality, trust model, and lack of manual region selection. Microsoft describes it as a browser safeguard, not a full VPN replacement, emphasizing the need for clarity on its capabilities.