‘Incognito mode’ is not as private as it might seem. This is what private browsing actually does [Video]

Although a private browsing mode known as “Incognito” in Google’s widely used Chrome browser has been available for nearly a decade, a legal settlement involving the way it works has cast new attention on this commonly available setting.

The settlement disclosed Monday in a federal court is primarily designed to ensure that users who use Incognito mode in Chrome get more privacy while surfing the internet than they had been previously.

Although Google isn’t paying any money to consumers, the lawyers who filed the case in June 2020 believe the stricter safeguards will be worth $4.75 billion to $7.8 billion, based on the estimated value of the personal information protected by the settlement.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR BROWSING HISTORY PRIVATE AND SAFE

Nearly every major browser now has a private browsing mode. Here’s a look at what they do and don’t do for surfers.