| The IP address is a crucial component of the | | | | was one of privacy and anonymity. Google |
| internet experience, even if the average | | | | argued that keeping track of IP information was |
| consumer never actually notices it. There are | | | | necessary for them to ensure more accurate |
| instances when the IP address can reveal private | | | | results – searching "football" in New York |
| user information, which means that proxy IP | | | | would yield different results than doing the same |
| systems can be found in the security features of | | | | in London, for example. The EU legislation |
| many internet users concerned about their | | | | countered that there is a huge possibility that |
| security. While the data that can be readily | | | | people who did not use a proxy IP program or |
| obtained from the IP address isn't enough to push | | | | website could effectively be traced and identified. |
| most people into anonymous surfing, it has | | | | The primary concern was to ensure complete |
| actually become a cause of concern for many | | | | and irreversible anonymity for the average |
| governing bodies. | | | | consumer, as a reaction to the increasing trend of |
| In 2008, privacy regulators and legislators in the | | | | identity theft. |
| European Union managed to get a ruling that | | | | Another sector that is finally realizing the need for |
| stated that the IP address should be considered | | | | an anonymizer or proxy IP system is the |
| private information, similar to a social security | | | | corporate sector. As more companies shift to |
| number or home address. This development is | | | | systems such as voice-over-IP protocols and |
| significant for security enthusiasts who hide IP | | | | other communication systems that rely on the |
| trails or use proxy IP addresses. The fact that | | | | internet, IP address security is becoming more of |
| this is considered private information allows it to | | | | a concern. It is not impossible to shut down |
| fall under a number of legal protections. The EU | | | | international operations if the IP address isn't |
| government and security departments have, since | | | | secure and the hacker has the right tools and |
| that ruling, forced companies such as Google to | | | | enough time on his hands. This has actually |
| comply with the new laws. While this has not | | | | opened up a market for security systems and |
| eliminated the need to mask IP addresses, a | | | | measures for Windows-based machines, which |
| number of security enthusiasts have embraced it | | | | are the most vulnerable to these sorts of |
| as a good first step. The most immediate impact | | | | attacks. In a related vein, users of open source |
| of the ruling is how search engines can gather | | | | systems like Linux sometimes have skilled |
| data from users within the EU's jurisdiction. | | | | programmers making their own additions to the |
| The issue behind the ruling, for the EU legislators, | | | | source code to improve IP security. |