Microsoft suspends dev accounts for high-profile open source projects

myko

Modern computing does not make me feel good. Really hate this signing business controlled by the OS vendors. I get the added security benefits, but I'm not sure the tradeoff is worth it.

jmclnx

I read elsewhere (here?) that it was the main developer of WireGuard who had their account suspended. If true, and based on what I read seems it is true, I am surprised this did not reach the "mainstream" press. All I can say is this is another proof of M/S abuse of their users: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47710149

shevy-java

Well, Microsoft is evil so no surprise - but this seems like targeted censorship: "The list of affected projects includes, but is not limited to, Virtual Private Network (VPN) software WireGuard, on-the-fly encryption (OTFE) utility VeraCrypt, the MemTest86 Random Access Memory (RAM) testing and diagnosis tool, and the Windscribe VPN software." It seems to go against VPN right? Is there a connection to other things such as the mem-test tool? This one is the only one that does not fit here. Or perhaps we don't have the full picture.

rob74

Also: https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/08/wireguard-vpn-developer-ca... ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47702161 )

cbeach

Alongside talk from the UK Labour government about intervening on VPNs, I'm getting uneasy vibes about this move, especially since Microsoft is one of the most government-friendly corporations in the big tech arena. The surveillance state is growing more sinister every day (especially in the UK), but the efforts are somewhat thwarted by the existence of VPNs. Once they find a way to undermine VPNs, the UK govt will have literal CCP-level control over our access to information and communication.

mittermayr

Just got a Wireguard update on Windows a minute ago, so seems resolved?

mellosouls

Discussed here yesterday: Microsoft terminates VeraCrypt account, halting Windows updates (575 points, 239 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47690977

andrewstuart

I feel like Hanselman is one of the few old generation Microsoft people. When he leaves it’ll be young people who don’t know Microsoft and have no understanding of or connection with Microsoft products.

tacker2000

In the tech world, security is mostly just a theater , it is used to push though unwanted and unpopular things, like access control, privacy invasion, etc... All this signing business, leads to one party having the final say, and guess what, they are going to abuse that power...

snarfy

It's really just typical corporate bs. "I've been using the same account doing the same actions for 10 years what changed" "We updated our policy 2 years ago. We have been sending you vaguely worded emails this would happen for 2 years, straight to your junk hotmail account you setup for this, why didn't you read them?" Nothing nefarious unless you consider bureaucracy

rixthefox

lol, Microslop shooting themselves in the foot once again. At this point people will move to MacOS or Linux because so much damage to their brand can’t simply be ignored anymore.

dontdoxxme

Microsoft loves sending emails with "Action required" in the subject, when actually no action is required, or it doesn't apply to you, or whatever. Such corporate speak. It's fun searching your email for "Action required" and finding all the things you were supposed to do and it turns out didn't need to do anything about.

sneak

FYI: on macOS you can’t even ship VPN software that uses the modern APIs outside of the app store for self-distribution. An ADP membership is required , full stop.

TiredOfLife

Seems that a developer of kernel level anticheat also was suspended. So not all is as bad.

ksk23

Would be nice if any outlet could actually check; did, or did Microsoft not inform these devs beforehand?!

0gs

i mean this has to be Mythos related, no? biiiig stretch?

xg15

> We're taking this as an opportunity to review how we communicate changes like this and make sure we're doing it better. As I'm sure the Vogons did after they blew up Earth for the hyperspace bypass road and realized the planet had inexplicably still been inhabitated.

blueTiger33

well, well, well...what do we have here? another big tech trying to undermine competition? :D Never happened before

pino83

Owwwwww...... :D I've no idea whether MS either has a veeeeery clever plan about what they are doing, and I just don't get it, or whether that's just completely stupid in the current times when Windows' fanbase is somewhat declining anyways. On the other hand, people always have a hard time understanding the trouble they order when they let things centralize too much. When they are too okay with depending on e.g. BigTech companies too much. And in that regard, those news are probably actually good news... It helps people learning about how things work... So they can make better decisions in the future. Better for all of us.