Your data on the web
IP addresses
Your computer’s IP address is used by the Internet to send the webpage you want to view to the right computer (and not one halfway round the world). Your IP address often includes some information about your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and your location so websites can use it to guess roughly where you are (normally to city level, a bit like your zipcode). This is useful as it allows them to guess in what language you want to read the page or to give you content that is relevant to your location.
It’s good to know that your IP address helps websites guess your location. Read the next topic: How an account helps websites save more of your preferences