Google’s update on IP tracking has crossed a new line — here’s why a VPN is more crucial than ever
Are you a Google user living in the European Economic Area (EEA), the UK, or Switzerland? If so, you have probably received a message from the tech giant informing you that it will soon start using your IP address for advertising measurement purposes.
Google has so far only used IP addresses to route traffic and display adverts in these regions. However, as reported by Bleeping Computer, from 4 August, it will allow third parties to show you more personalised adverts by tracking your activity via your IP address.
The move raises questions about compliance with the GDPR in the EU and UK, which classifies IP addresses as personal data. Under current regulations, companies must obtain users’ consent before tracking IP addresses for the purpose of personalising adverts.
Indeed, the tracking of IP addresses in the EU is regarded as ‘fingerprinting’ — an invasive profiling practice that tracks an individual and their devices to link their digital activities. IP addresses can help identify your device, making it much easier for third parties to build a profile and bombard you with targeted ads while potentially exposing your data to hackers.
Google has stated that it is now shifting the burden of complying with the regulations in these regions onto advertisers, reminding them to adhere to its EU User Consent Policy and to obtain valid consent from users in the regions concerned, thereby placing much of the responsibility for managing and tracking IP addresses directly on these companies.
The days when the tech giant promoted a privacy-friendly digital environment now seem a distant memory. However, the best VPNs can help you retain control over your IP address.
What Google’s IP-tracking means for your privacy
Google’s new initiative could mark a significant turning point in terms of consent. Above all, it involves the creation of persistent profiles based on users’ activities.
By placing the responsibility for obtaining consent on advertisers, while at the same time making it impossible for users to delete their own ‘digital footprint’ themselves, the Big Tech giant heavily impacts users’ online privacy.
Additionally, advertisers may implement consent banners in ways that are unclear or designed to encourage users to click ‘accept’, leading regulators to question whether the new system truly respects users’ choices.
Although users might soon be able to manage IP-based personalisation, current opt-out options are limited to existing cookies and ad personalisation settings — meaning that, at present, users have little control over this new form of profiling.
It is particularly clarifying that Google itself was previously against the move, having completely U-turned from 2019, when it recognised fingerprinting as ‘wrong’, claiming it undermines users’ freedom of choice.
However, in 2024, the platform backtracked on its pro-privacy stance and lifted the ban on advertisers’ use of fingerprinting, almost immediately raising concerns at the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which described the reversal as ‘irresponsible’.
Awkwardly for Google, new developments come just one month after the ICO published its 2026 guidance, where it reiterated that tracking a person’s digital activity across different websites to build a behavioural profile will continue to require users’ explicit consent.
How can a VPN help?
A virtual private network (VPN) gives you control back over these issues, as it spoofs users’ IP addresses to minimise tracking — routing your traffic through remote servers and fooling websites you visit into thinking you’re somewhere else.
Leading providers, including NordVPN, Surfshark and Proton VPN, offer services such as ThreatProtection, CleanWeb and NetShield, which provide both shared and dedicated, static IP addresses, as well as blocking trackers, reducing cookie pop-ups and using alternative IDs, making IP-based identification harder.
A handful of secure free VPNs, including ProtonVPN Free, Windscribe Free, and Privado VPN Free, are also worth the game. However, these solutions usually have limitations, often a limited number of servers, which can slow down connection speeds and cause traffic congestion.
In recent years, some top VPNs have also integrated anti-fingerprinting technologies. Windscribe, for example, has added such a feature on its Chrome and Edge browser extensions, while Mullvad VPN developed the Mullvad browser with fingerprinting resistance.
Finally, using a privacy-first browser like Mozilla Firefox, which incorporates an ad-blocker, free proxy, and fingerprinting protections, will help minimise IP-tracking for ad personalisation, making unpleasant ads a distant memory.
