When browsing in incognito mode, the websites you visit can still record your activity.
Google has started warning Chrome users that Incognito mode is not as private as they thought. In this article, we’ll look at the real privacy implications of Chrome’s Incognito mode and its limitations.
In 2020, a class action lawsuit was filed against Google alleging that the private sessions users were given while browsing in Incognito mode were actually being tracked. In late 2023, after failing to convince a US District Court to dismiss the case, Google agreed to settle the lawsuit in a $5 billion settlement.
Following the settlement of the lawsuit, Google began to change the language for Chrome users about how private Incognito mode browsing really is. In the latest build of the Chrome browser in the Canary development channel, users are presented with an updated description of what Incognito mode can and cannot do. “This will not change how data is collected by Google, including the websites you visit and the services they use,” the statement reads.
When browsing in Incognito mode, history, cookies, website information and form submissions are not saved, as are session details. However, the websites you visit can still record your activity, your internet service provider can also see your activity, and if you are on a machine issued by a work or school, the administrator can also check your browsing data. However, Google has previously refrained from telling users that the company itself also collects some valuable data when Incognito mode is active.
Google’s apps, cookies and analytics services track user activity while browsing the web in Incognito mode, allowing the company to collect an “unaccountable trove of information” about millions of users, the lawsuit alleged. The lawsuit seeks $5,000 in damages for each class member for being misled and having their web browsing activity tracked since 2016.
So what is the safe route if Incognito mode isn’t really private? According to experts like NordVPN, you should choose Duck Duck Go, a private search engine, opt for Tor as a browsing channel, disable third-party cookies, and if possible use a VPN to keep your browsing sessions private.
