Microsoft Edge has recently promoted a built-in “free VPN” called Edge Secure Network, promising users easier, safer browsing and privacy protection without extra apps or subscriptions. But leading privacy experts now argue that this marketing is misleading — because Edge’s so-called VPN isn’t a true VPN after all.
🧠 What Microsoft Claims About Edge Secure Network
Microsoft advertises Edge Secure Network as a way to:
Encrypt your browsing data to prevent snooping on public Wi-Fi
Hide your IP address from websites
Add an extra layer of privacy
Provide 5 GB of free monthly “VPN data” for logged-in users
It sounds like a standard VPN, right? That’s where the controversy begins.
🔍 A Researcher Says It’s NOT a True VPN
Sooraj Sathyanarayanan — a privacy researcher and security strategist working at Brave Browser — publicly challenged Microsoft’s claims, stating that Edge Secure Network is not a VPN in the traditional sense.
According to his analysis:
Edge Secure Network only encrypts traffic inside the Edge browser — not the whole device or system.
It acts more like a browser-level proxy, specifically an HTTP CONNECT proxy built on Cloudflare’s Privacy Proxy Platform.
Traffic from apps outside Edge (e.g., email clients, games, operating system updates) doesn’t go through this tunnel at all.
That’s very different from what most people expect when they hear “VPN.” Traditional VPNs encrypt all outgoing internet traffic from your device, including apps and background services.
🤔 So What Is Edge Secure Network Then?
Think of it as a privacy boost for your browser only — similar to a secure proxy that:
Protects against simple Wi-Fi snooping
Prevents basic ad and tracker interference
Masks your IP inside the browser
…but doesn’t offer full system-wide VPN protection like:
Dedicated VPN services (NordVPN, ExpressVPN, ProtonVPN)
Advanced features like kill switches, server selection, or system DNS encryption
That limitation is the main reason experts say Microsoft’s “VPN” label is misleading.
❗ Why This Matters for Privacy-Conscious Users
If you’re relying on a VPN to:
Hide all internet activity from your ISP
Secure apps or services outside the browser
Bypass geographic restrictions for video streaming
…Edge Secure Network won’t do that. It simply doesn’t cover the full range of internet traffic, which is a key difference from a real VPN.
📌 Bottom Line
✔️ Microsoft Edge Secure Network — good for basic browser privacy
❌ Not a full VPN — doesn’t encrypt system-wide traffic
✔️ Great for quick protection on public Wi-Fi
❗ Misleading marketing language is causing confusion among users
