Browsing in incognito mode doesn’t protect you as much as you might think
NEW YORK (AP) – Although a private browsing mode known as ‘Incognito’ in Google’s widely used Chrome browser has been available for nearly a decade, a legal settlement involving the way it works has cast new attention on this commonly available setting.
The settlement disclosed recently in a federal court is primarily designed to ensure that users who use Incognito mode in Chrome get more privacy while surfing the Internet than they had been previously.
Although Google isn’t paying any money to consumers, the lawyers who filed the case in June 2020 believe the stricter safeguards will be worth USD4.75 billion to USD7.8 billion, based on the estimated value of the personal information protected by the settlement.
Nearly every major browser now has a private browsing mode. Here’s a look at what they do and don’t do for surfers.
WHAT PRIVATE BROWSING ACTUALLY DOES
When you turn on your browser’s private mode, think of it as a fresh start.
So all of the advantages of browser personalisation won’t be there: No suggestions based on your history, autocomplete will be largely unavailable and you will have to sign into your accounts.
WHAT PRIVATE BROWSING DOESN’T DO
Remember that the point of a private browsing mode is not to cover the fact that you visited a website but to cover the fact that you visited that site from your device.
Incognito modes generally do not prevent the websites you visit from seeing your location, via your IP address, or stop your Internet service provider from logging your activities.
As long as your IP address is visible, the Mozilla Foundation said your identity and activity remain fully exposed to search engines and third parties – think advertisers – regardless of what mode your browsing in.
ARE THERE OPTIONS FOR MORE PRIVATE BROWSING?
A virtual private network can run interference for your IP address, making it harder for sites to track you.
But the use of VPNs also raises additional security questions, especially for users who go with a free or cheap VPN provider they haven’t carefully vetted.
