Introduction: The Ultimate Proxy
The IP address is the last massive privacy loophole in web tracking. As part of their "Privacy Sandbox" initiative, Google is proposing a feature for Chrome called IP Protection. It is essentially a built-in proxy designed to hide your IP address from advertisers automatically.
The Two-Hop Privacy
Instead of connecting directly to a website, Google Chrome will encrypt your traffic and send it through a Google Proxy, and then through a third-party proxy (like Cloudflare), before sending it to the website. The website sees the proxy's IP, not yours. Google sees your IP, but not the website you are visiting.
Conclusion
If implemented, IP Protection will upend the entire ad-tech industry, fundamentally changing how routing and tracking work on the public web. Check your browser's proxy status here.