Do’s and Don’ts in Incognito Mode to Protect Your Data
Do you know what Chrome Incognito Mode does to your browser data? If not, it’s worth remembering because it seems like some users acted under the wrong impression.
Google is being sued for $ 5 billion for “deliberately misleading users” into believing that their browsing was prohibited using incognito mode. While I totally doubt Google’s privacy policy, it’s hard to imagine Google losing this one as Chrome clearly explains how incognito mode works every time you open an incognito tab.
Regardless of what happens to the claim, it’s important to know which incognito mode in Chrome – and similar settings in other browsers – actually works, and how it should (and shouldn’t) be used.
What incognito and private browsing modes actually do
Incognito mode simply prevents browsing history from being saved on your device and in your personal Google account. This includes searches, sites visited, and cookies (although sites loaded and bookmarked sites will still appear). Usually, if others have access to your device or account, they won’t be able to see what you were doing in incognito mode.
The same restrictions apply to private browsing modes in other browsers such as Firefox and Edge. It is best to think of Incognito / Private Browsing as nothing more than a pause button in your browsing history. These modes do not make you anonymous or hide your personal information when you access websites, nor do they interfere with Google, your ISP, employers, advertisers or anyone else from seeing or collecting data about what you do. All of this is clearly indicated when you open a new tab in incognito mode.
Because private browsing modes often turn off browser add-ons by default, including those that block traffic or add extra layers of privacy, it may be easier for websites and businesses to track certain data if you use incognito mode. Likewise, if you actually log into a website like Instagram in incognito mode, the site will be able to see what you are doing and all normal account activity will be visible to other users even after you close the incognito tab. …
Bottom line: If you’re trying to hide your browsing history from people using the same devices or Google account as you, use incognito mode. If you are trying to anonymize your traffic and your data does not fall into the hands of companies, there is a lot more you need to do.
How to keep your browsing data private
Using incognito mode and tabs for private browsing is not an important data security strategy, although I will not deny that they can only be a small part of one of them when used correctly. To that end, we have guides covering the best browsers for ad blocking , third-party trackers, and data privacy, although some of these will require you to configure additional tracker blocking options or install third-party add-ons .
Other tools like a reliable VPN will hide your IP address and traffic (at least most of the time), while DNS services over HTTPS encrypt your traffic and make it difficult for outsiders to see which websites you are accessing …
Finally, we also have guidelines for controlling what information companies like Google , Twitter, and Facebook can share with others; limiting the amount of information that your devices can transmit ; and replacing applications that collect data regardless of your browser’s security settings.