Google Chrome may be getting a new privacy feature

Google is reportedly working on a Chrome feature that routes traffic through a Google-owned proxy server to anonymize users’ IP addresses, enhancing privacy but raising security concerns.

Using a Google-owned server would mean your web searches would be routed through it.

There’s a chance a privacy upgrade will change your mind if you aren’t among the approximately 3 billion people who use Google’s browser.

Google is reportedly working on enhancing the privacy features of its Chrome web browser. In addition to its existing security measures such as site isolation, sandboxing, and predictive phishing protection, Google is developing a new feature that will obscure users’ IP addresses. This added layer of protection will help prevent unauthorized parties from tracking users’ online activities across the web.

The update was initially noticed by Bleeping Computer on GitHub. The potential implementation involves redirecting users’ internet traffic through a proxy server owned by Google. This action would render users’ IP addresses, which serve as distinctive markers for tracking individuals across the internet, invisible to specific domains. Essentially, it offers an added layer of IP protection. Furthermore, there’s a possibility that Google may introduce more proxy servers in the future, as Tech Radar has reported.

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As described in the GitHub entry, “Chrome is revisiting a concept to shield users from cross-site tracking using IP addresses. This concept revolves around a privacy proxy that anonymizes IP addresses for qualifying web traffic, as outlined above.”

Indeed, IP protection via routing through a Google-owned proxy server is not a one-size-fits-all solution for privacy concerns. There are potential risks associated with this approach, particularly the risk that if Google’s servers were to be compromised, a malicious actor could gain access to a significant amount of user information. Therefore, while it offers some privacy benefits, users should remain cautious and aware of the potential trade-offs when considering the use of such a feature.