There are boatloads of free to use VPN services available on the Google Play Store, but not all of them strike the perfect balance between features, ease of use, and user security.We swear by a handful of VPN services, but Googlerecently shut downits offering bundled with Google One subscriptions. News of another shutdown just broke, and we are sad to see Atlas VPN go.
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Atlas VPN is a competitive service offering conveniences like passwordless logins and support for unlimited devices with subscriptions priced at just $1.70 per month. However, late in March, the company updated its website and announced an April 24 shutdown date. The company’s 6 million users will be migrated to parent firm NordVPN’s service (viaPCWorld).
The shutdown and mergers highlight a worrying trend
NordVPN’s owners, Nord Security, purchased Atlas VPN outright in 2021, and promised to allow the company to continue operating with the Atlas brand name. However,Atlas’s shutdown announcementthat was online on its website at the time of writing cites insurmountable challenges linked to advancing technological demands, rising costs, and a competitive market as driving factors for the decision to shut shop.
This shutdown points to a worrying trend in the VPN industry where smaller players are folding, making the bigger service providers like Nord Security even stronger, potentially creating a monopolistic market. Currently, Nord owns some of the most popular services, like NordVPN and SurfShark. Another example is Kape Technologies, formerly known as Crossrider, which owns ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, and CyberGhost VPN. While consolidation like this builds a stronger industry, it also breeds monopolistic pricing, and gives consumers limited control over how their data is handled.
