Company
Date Published
Author
Valentin Vasilyev
Word count
1509
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

Google is set to introduce its IP Protection feature for Chrome's Incognito mode in July 2025 as part of its Privacy Sandbox initiative, aiming to enhance user privacy by concealing IP addresses from third-party tracking. This development poses significant implications for businesses that rely on IP-based tracking and cybersecurity measures, as the feature will route web requests through a two-hop proxy system, making it difficult to identify users based on IP addresses. Unlike Apple’s Private Relay, which requires a subscription and is limited to Safari, Google's IP Protection will be free and integrated into Chrome, potentially becoming a major source of anonymized IP traffic due to Chrome's substantial market share. While this shift could improve user privacy, it challenges traditional methods of fraud detection and security that depend on IP tracking, pushing businesses to explore alternative identification techniques like device fingerprinting and first-party data collection. The feature will initially be available in select regions, and users must authenticate their accounts to enable it, indicating a broader move towards a privacy-first web landscape.