expressvpn privacy

How to hide my IP address

Your IP address is your online fingerprint. The IP address for your home computer tells every other computer and network server in the world exactly where you are located. Information is stored about you using your IP address and your IP is your primary weakness when it comes to criminal activity over the internet, particularly identify theft. Fortunately hiding your IP address is straightforward using web proxies.

Using Proxy Sites
A proxy is a third party that works on your behalf online. When you connect to a website using a web proxy, the site you request, such as Facebook, is downloaded through the proxy site using a proxy IP. This keeps your IP address out of the equation all together. Using a proxy site, either free or paid, is the equivalent of using a new IP address. The web proxy simply uses an alternative IP address as a pathway for your internet searches so long as you search through the proxy’s website.

The alternative IP address keeps your true IP address anonymous, protecting you from targeted advertising and stored information. This is especially true if you use a proxy site that has revolving IP addresses – all the better to keep your assumed identity shifting and harder to target by thieves and ruthless advertisers.

The Advantages of Proxy Lists
If you are concerned about your safety online, a full scale proxy list such as ours will offer you a wide range of options for anonymous surfing. The list includes a variety of public, free proxies that don’t charge for use. However, if you’re focused on protecting yourself all of the time, you might consider a paid proxy. Again, there are many reviewed paid proxy servers and sites on our comprehensive list.

The paid proxy often searches faster than free proxies hampered by advertisements and file limits. The paid proxy can easily become your sole means of connecting to any site on the internet. With revolving IP addresses working to cloak your true location and identity, you would never truly reveal yourself to any website, thief or advertiser. This level of protection is especially advantageous if you work online using public networks such as the local café or coffee shop where you must open yourself up on an unsecured network.