Proxies

Introduction to proxies

When users are browsing the internet, their data is sent or tagged with their IP address, making it easier to track their web activities. When we take a deeper look, we see that when a user sends a packet request, the packet contains the IP address of the source (i.e., the user), which helps the receiver to identify where it should send the response back. Keep in mind that if the packet is intercepted as it traverses the internet, the interceptor can see the packet's destination and source. Anyway, websites will always be able to tell who the packet belongs to and subsequently log the user's activity. Trying to mitigate this tracking is where proxies come in.

A web proxy is a server that stands between the user's browser and the rest of the internet. It serves many purposes: blocking access to certain websites, circumventing the blocking of websites, acting as a tool for browsing anonymously, intercepting traffic, and many more.