Google is set to launch the IP Protection feature in the Chrome browser, designed to hide users' IP addresses from website owners. This new feature may serve as a built-in anonymizer, aimed at preventing tracking of movements and bypassing blocks at both the site level and by telecommunications operators.
Technically, the implementation of IP Protection involves routing traffic through a proxy server before reaching the target server. For anonymizing the request, there will be an option to route through multiple proxies, with each subsequent proxy only seeing the previous one in the chain and not the actual IP address of the client, similar to the use of VPN.
Google plans to test the IP address protection mode on a limited share of users in upcoming releases of the Chrome browser (from versions 119 to 125). In the initial testing phase, a single proxy server owned by Google will be used, and the hiding an IP address will only be activated for Google domains and advertising networks. This phase will cover up to 33% of users in the US participating in experimental versions of Chrome.
In the next phase of testing, a two-level proxy configuration is planned. Initially, the connection will be routed from the browser through an encrypted tunnel to a Google proxy, and then to a second proxy operated by a separate company not affiliated with Google. This will ensure the anonymity of the user's IP address for the first proxy and the confidentiality of information about the target host for the second. Traffic will be routed through the proxy using CONNECT and CONNECT-UDP methods, employing the TLS protocol for encryption.
To prevent abuse, access to the first proxy controlled by Google will be managed through a cryptographic token linked to the user's Google account in Chrome. This token will also have traffic limits to prevent misuse of the proxy for malicious purposes.
The IP address hiding mode will be disabled by default but can be enabled at the user's discretion. The application of address hiding will be limited to a list of domains known for tracking user movements to avoid undesirable changes that affect website functionality.
To address location binding issues, it is recommended to use second-level proxies in the same country or city as the user. Plans are in place to expand the second-level proxy server network in collaboration with various providers and content delivery networks.
Source: linux.org.ru
