HOW INCOGNITO IS INCOGNITO MODE ON YOUR INTERNET BROWSER?

Not very. When you turn on private mode or launch an incognito browser window, it’s like starting from scratch on a new computer. There will be no cookies to help your browser, so you’ll have to re-login to websites that need your details. When you’re done, the browser will delete the new cookies and temporary cache files and keep no history of your activity. As far as your computer is concerned, there is no record of your browsing, apart from any files you downloaded, or bookmarks saved.

But that’s not the whole story. For your computer to connect to the internet, it must go through your router, and the router can monitor all web addresses that you visit. This will happen regardless of whether the user turns on private mode of the browser.

Even while you are browsing using incognito, you leave digital footprints all over the web. Cookies may be deleted after you’re done, but while you’re browsing, the websites are happily storing information about your activities. If you login to any site while in private mode, you’ve given the game away instantly. You are identified by the site and all your activities will be tracked as normal. Your searches will be recorded, along with your browsing activities on any social media sites, and your purchases will all be stored. Through temporary cookies, your activities can be linked across multiple accounts and profiles, gathering more data about you.

So, you decide not to login to any site. You’re still tracked through your computer’s IP address, which can locate your approximate region. It’s a method used in sales to figure out whether an anonymous potential purchaser has been clicking around. The IP address is tracked, and emails are sent with tempting offers to try and convert that interest into a sale. Combine the IP address with device type and browser details, and it’s possible to figure out who you are, regardless of whether you’ve given your name. Some browsers are trying to block this, but websites keep finding ways to track you. PB