After the Shutdown: How I Found Better Online Privacy Than Google Offered

There’s a quiet rhythm to how we move through the internet — each tap, scroll, and search sending ripples of data into the vast sea of servers that power the modern web. For a while, Google offered a small lifeboat in that sea: its Google One VPN, a privacy‑boosting feature bundled with its cloud storage plans. But in 2024, that lifeboat was retired. Google announced the service would be discontinued because “people simply weren’t using it,” shuttering the VPN for most users by June of that year.

At its launch in 2020, the Google One VPN had been pitched as a simple way to encrypt your internet traffic and shield your IP address from prying networks — a digital safety cloak for everyday browsing. Yet, much like other experimental offerings that never quite gained traction, it was quietly phased out to let Google focus on more popular features.

If you were using it, the transition might have felt abrupt. Existing Google One users were nudged toward third‑party VPN providers for continued protection, and those of us without a built‑in Pixel or Google Fi VPN option were left seeking alternatives that actually deliver on privacy promises.

That search isn’t just technical — it’s personal. A VPN isn’t just about watching a show while traveling abroad; it’s about keeping your home network safe, protecting your data on public Wi‑Fi, and preventing companies from building sprawling profiles of your online life. With Google’s exit from this space, I looked to tools that put privacy and security first rather than being add‑ons to broader ecosystems.

One standout is Proton VPN, built by the same team behind Proton Mail and designed around the idea that privacy is a right, not a perk. Based in Switzerland, it’s governed by strong privacy laws, has an audited no‑logs policy, and provides high standards of encryption without tying your data to a tech giant’s sprawling ecosystem.

Other strong contenders include NordVPN, known for fast connections, extensive global server networks, and advanced features like post‑quantum encryption and phishing protection; Surfshark, which offers excellent speeds and unlimited device support at a very competitive price; and Mullvad, a privacy‑centric provider that’s fully open‑source and lets you pay anonymously.

Even within browsers, options are emerging: Mozilla’s Firefox VPN now enters beta with a lightweight, privacy‑centered, browser‑only VPN feature that’s easy to use for everyday browsing — a reminder that privacy tools don’t always have to be big or expensive to be effective.

Switching away from Google’s VPN might have felt like losing a familiar safety net. But it also pushed me to rethink what privacy means and to choose tools that aren’t bundled into a corporate ecosystem first and foremost. The alternatives out there today aren’t perfect — nothing is in tech — but they place privacy, transparency, and independent verification at their core. And for many of us, that shift feels worth it.

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Sources Google One VPN shutdown details — service discontinued due to low usage. Google One VPN history and replacement context on Pixel devices. VPN alternatives and recommendations post‑Google VPN shutdown. Top VPN service rankings including NordVPN, Surfshark, ProtonVPN, etc. Mullvad privacy‑focused VPN overview.