Google Chrome's new protection will hide users' IP addresses

Google is working on a new "IP Protection" feature to improve the privacy of Google Chrome users. This feature masks users' IP addresses using proxy servers, making them invisible to websites. IP protection seeks to strike a balance between user privacy and the necessary functionality of the web, recognizing the risk of covert tracking through IP addresses.

How the proposed IP Protection works

Google Chrome's IP Protection makes users' IP addresses invisible to websites. As the digital environment evolves, this functionality will need to continually adapt to protect users from cross-website tracking. Currently, IP addresses can be used to track activity on sites and create persistent user profiles, raising serious privacy questions. IP Protection will initially be activated, allowing users to control their privacy and Google to monitor behavior.

Phased rollout and possible security issues

The IP protection functionality will be implemented gradually to comply with any restrictions imposed by the authorities and to facilitate adequate learning. During the initial approach, IP protection will focus on certain domains in third-party contexts, targeting those considered to be a source of user tracking. Google plans to test this feature between Chrome 119 and Chrome 225.

Cybersecurity considerations

Implementing IP protection raises some cybersecurity concerns. Traffic will be routed through Google's proxy servers, which may make it difficult for security and fraud protection services to block DDoS attacks or detect invalid traffic. Additionally, if one of Google Chrome's proxy servers were compromised, an attacker could see and manipulate passing traffic. Google is considering requiring users to authenticate with the proxy to mitigate this issue, introducing rate limiting to prevent DDoS attacks.