Safe Browsing, incognito mode, and InPrivate – whatever browser mode you use for covert internet usage, it works the same way. It does not, however, make you truly private. Yes, Private Browsing has some benefits for covering your online activities but is far from perfect. In fact, private browsing does nothing to stop data collection. So, what is the point of private browsing?
What does private browsing accomplish?
Private browsing is most often done by opening a separate browser window. Its function is comparable to normal browsing, with the following exceptions:
- It typically acts as a fresh browser installation, not utilizing your history, saved settings, downloaded plug-ins, and so on.
- After you close the window and the private browsing session expires, Chrome deletes all of the data it has saved – including cookies, completed forms, and history.
The mode is used most often for two reasons:
- To conduct online searches that aren’t influenced by your usual surfing. Because there is no previous data to utilize, the search engine can’t tailor your results to you, giving you a more accurate search result.
- Remove your browsing history. Sure, you can manually remove browser history after using typical surfing, but it’s time-consuming and annoying to sift through everything. Cookies, saved search field data, and other similar items can all stay behind.
So, in essence, it’s used to protect you from becoming a target of the “delete my search history when I die” meme. And maybe from sweating out all of your bodily fluids if someone sits down at your browser and types the letter “p” into the search bar. That is, however, where Google’s privacy features end.
Is private browsing really secure?
It’s not really private, and it doesn’t even pretend to be. Let’s have a look at what an Incognito (private browsing session) window on Google Chrome has to say about it. It explicitly states which data it will not collect – and who may still track you if you use Incognito mode.
That’s because private browsing mode only has an effect on your device. Anything that falls outside its limits is unaffected. People tracking your online habits are able to know that you’ve visited the website (especially if you logged into your account), who operates the local Wi-Fi can see that you’ve visited it, and your internet service provider certainly knows. Private browsing modes are ineffective against these watchers.
Is it possible to trace my private surfing history?
Your IP address is still exposed.
Every device connected to the internet has an IP address, which is how the world wide web infrastructure recognizes where to send data. As a result of this, whenever you connect to a website, the site obtains your IP address for the purpose of delivering all required information: typefaces, logos, cat photographs – everything. This is unavoidable.
As a result, if you connected to the website at 16:32:32 and your IP is 142.68.420.69, there will be an entry in the site’s logs indicating that you accessed it at 16:32:32. Everything you do on the website may be recorded like this, which may have the potential to influence how your website behaves the next time you visit.
Your account still keeps track of everything you do.
You might access an account in private browsing mode so no one else uses the device knows that you’re a major weeb. Congratulations, your search history may not login, but your account continues to chronicle all of your activities to the website owners’ satisfaction.
It’s clear to see that private browsing won’t protect your data as much as you probably thought. This is why a lot of people choose to use a VPN. VPNs mask your activity online, making anything you do virtually untraceable. We highly recommend trying a Surfshark download to protect yourself as soon as possible.