Browsers Become Built‑In VPN Gateways

Major browsers are starting to include native VPN/proxy services and security APIs, shifting traffic routing and some privacy protections from third‑party tools to browser vendors. That moves network-level functions (IP hiding, proxying, attack filtering) under the control of a few platform actors and creates new central points for policy, monetization, and trust decisions. — This trend alters who controls online privacy, reshapes the VPN market, and concentrates technical and political power over user network traffic in browser vendors.