Revealing the truth about Google's incognito mode and online privacy

Incognito mode provides a semblance of privacy on widely used web browsers, including Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and others. Promoted as a feature to browse the web without saving your history on your device, it creates the illusion of complete privacy.

What is often overlooked, however, is that even though no activity logs are stored on the device, external entities – including website hosts, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), search engines, and many other companies – can still track your online actions in incognito mode.

Legal Focus: The Google Incognito Mode Lawsuit

This misunderstanding led to a lawsuit against Google for allegedly tracking users’ internet activity while they thought they were browsing privately. To address the issue, Google agreed to delete or anonymize billions of records of browsing data collected in “Incognito Mode” as part of a class-action settlement. The move followed allegations in a legal case that Google had secretly tracked the internet activity of people who thought they were in private.

According to a report by the popular US tech news site The Verge, the settlement requires Google to improve its disclosures about data collection in “Incognito Mode” and impose restrictions on future data collection. Pending approval by a federal judge in California, the deal could benefit some 136 million Google users involved in the 2020 lawsuit. The lawsuit accused Google of illegally tracking user activity through its private browsing feature.

The deal’s value, estimated at $5 billion, reflects the magnitude of the data Google will be required to delete or prevent from being collected, effective December 2023 or earlier. Data that isn’t completely deleted will be de-identified.

The plaintiffs hailed the settlement as a milestone in holding the “world’s largest data collector” accountable, calling it a major step toward strengthening privacy on the internet.

In response, Google spokesman José Castañeda said he was pleased to have reached a settlement in what the company considered a baseless lawsuit. Despite the plaintiffs valuing the settlement at $5 billion, Castañeda pointed out that the actual compensation to the plaintiffs was zero.

Castañeda went on to clarify that Google does not link data to users in “Incognito Mode,” and that the company is willing to eliminate old, depersonalized technical data.

The agreement also requires Google to update its privacy disclosures, a process it has already begun on its Chrome browser. Over the next five years, Google will allow users to block third-party cookies by default in “Incognito Mode,” thus preventing Google from tracking their activity on third-party websites.

Despite the settlement, individuals still have the right to pursue damages claims in California state court, with 50 claims already filed.

What does “Incognito Mode” really mean?

“Incognito mode” means that when a user ends a session in “incognito mode”, the browser will not store cookies or any traces of that visit.

Furthermore, “incognito mode” ensures that no data or search history from a particular session is saved on the user’s device. This means that other people using your device cannot discover what websites you have visited or what you have searched for online.

To clarify, “incognito mode” means hiding your identity. When you browse the web in incognito or private mode, you are hiding your browsing activity from other users on the same device. However, it is important to understand that your IP address and online activities can still be tracked.

In essence, private browsing protects your internet activities from the view of other users on your device, providing a layer of privacy from tracking by family and friends.

It’s important to realize, however, that Google Chrome’s “incognito mode” doesn’t offer complete protection against tracking by websites or data collectors. As recent disclosure updates point out, even in private browsing mode, websites can still collect data about your activity, including tracking by Google itself.

Furthermore, it is important to note that “incognito mode” may not hide your activity from employers or educational institutions, so if you are trying to access websites discreetly at work or school, “incognito mode” may not provide the anonymity you desire.

While Google's privacy policy states that “Incognito Mode” maintains privacy on your device, that doesn't stop Google from collecting data through other services, as detailed in their Privacy Policy.

Privacy and Perception: The Reality of Digital Anonymity

While the concept of “anonymity” suggests a degree of anonymity, the reality does not quite match the expectation of complete privacy. This gap between expectation and reality highlights a more important issue in our digital society: the complex nature of online privacy and the often misunderstood mechanisms behind it.

Many users who switch to “incognito mode” believe that it acts as a digital cloak, making their online activities invisible to everyone. However, this belief is a misconception that tech giants may not have clearly explained.

The truth is that “incognito mode” only offers superficial privacy protection, primarily against common snooping on the same device. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a shield against the prying eyes of the wider internet ecosystem, including advertisers, websites, and internet service providers.

This misunderstanding leads to a false sense of security, where users can engage in activities, thinking they are completely anonymous, but end up leaving behind a digital trail visible to a wide range of online entities.

Furthermore, the effectiveness of “incognito mode,” or its lack thereof, raises questions about the responsibility of tech companies to educate users about the extent of privacy their products actually provide.

Is it enough to provide users with a tool with limited privacy capabilities without making those limitations clear? This question has become even more pressing in light of the lawsuit against Google, which highlights the need for greater transparency and clearer communication from tech companies about what their privacy features can and can't do.