A proxy server can be either a computer program or hardware systems that acts as a middle system between 2 or more servers.  When using a proxy server, there is no direct contact between your web browser and computer with an end server. Your web browser sends and receives information from end servers via a proxy server.

Instead of contacting the end server directly as most browsers do to get to a specific webpage, the browser first contacts the proxy server, which then forwards your request to the specified website on the other end.  When the end server replies, it replies back to the proxy and not directly to the end user browser. The proxy server then sends the reply to the browser. There is never any direct link/communication between the browser and the end server. The end server will be communicating with the proxy server only and hide the end users server and computer information.

The most common use of an anonymous proxy server is to grant access to websites that are blocked by their ISP provider.

An anonymous proxy server, also called a web proxy, attempts to anonymize the web surfer completely.  There are many benefits from surfing online with anonymity – to protect oneself from computer  hackers, online phishers, scammers and political dissidents. Many people also use anonymous proxies to gain access to adult and illegal websites anonymously.