Proxies are a really good way to hide your IP address on the Internet. They let you channel your browser or connection through another server that is separate, that is going to mask your IP address. A proxy server has many advantages, so that you can surf the Internet in privacy. If you use a VPN instead of a proxy server, then your connection is going to be encrypted, and it is going to stop government agencies from sneaking and having a look at your traffic. However, VPNs do have limitations. The biggest issue with most proxies or VPNs is that they use a data center server. This is a server that isn't linked to a specific time owner, which means that there's a good chance that this proxy or VPN can be blocked. This is why it's so important to use a residential proxy, so that you can avoid having your connection denied.