Google Chrome’s Incognito Mode does NOT keep you safe and private online, experts warn
IT'S touted as a safe and private way to browse the internet, free from the prying eyes of tech giants and governments alike.
But "Incognito Mode" in Google's massively popular Chrome web browser is not as secure as you think, according to one group of experts.
Researchers in the US and Germany say most people trust the "private" window more than they should.
The optional mode built into Chrome – the world's most popular browser – is designed to conceal your internet activity and the sites you visit.
It does this by supposedly blocking your browser from saving information about what you do online.
However, according to a study published last year, users wrongly believe the window fully shields them from online tracking and malware.
Scientists showed 460 people a fictional browser called Onyx that featured 13 private modes taken from browsers like Google Chrome and Firefox.
Volunteers were shown the private tabs along with hypothetical scenarios and asked whether they thought the browser would protect their activity.
Most believed they were shielded in ways that they weren't.
For instance, more than half (56 per cent) of participants wrongly thought that logging into a Google account in private mode would prevent searches from being saved to their account's history.
Two in five (40 per cent) mistakenly believed private mode would stop a website from tracking their location.
More than one in four (27 per cent) thought private browsing protected them from malware.
Scientists said the language used by Google Chrome when introducing Incognito Mode was to blame for the misconceptions.
When opening an Incognito tab, a message reads: "Now you can browse privately, and other people who use this device won’t see your activity. However, downloads and bookmarks will be saved."
Web browsers – which ones are the most popular?
Here's the global share your favourite browsers hold on desktop devices in 2018, according to Statcounter...
- Google Chrome – 67.63%
- Mozilla Firefox – 10.97%
- Internet Explorer – 7.02%
- Apple Safari – 5.13%
- Micorosft Edge – 4.24%
- Opera – 2.48%
Experts argued that the wording does not make it clear that there are still ways you can be tracked.
"We found that browsers’ disclosures fail to correct the majority of the misconceptions we tested," researchers at the University of Chicago and Leibniz University Hannover wrote.
"These misconceptions included beliefs that private browsing mode would prevent geolocation, advertisements, viruses, and tracking by both the websites visited and the network provider."
Specifically, the use of the word "privately" in the browser description led users to believe they were safe from any and all tracking.
"The term 'private' is heavily overloaded, and our results suggest the name 'private mode' implies unintended meanings," researchers concluded.
"When disclosures claim users can 'browse privately' (Chrome), users may refer back to their broader conceptualisation of privacy."
Experts urged browser makers to rephrase the language used to describe private browsing modes.
It should be made clear to users precisely what incognito modes do and don't do to keep people safe.
The "safe" browsers do not protect you from malware or viruses, and cannot stop people tracking you completely.
Your workplace, for instance, or your Internet Service Provider (Virgin Media, BT, Sky etc) may still make a note of where you've visited, even in private mode.
TOP STORIES IN TECH
In other news, Incognito Mode is coming to Google Maps – stopping Google from keeping a log of your movements.
Amazon has been accused of violating the privacy of youngsters with its Alexa-powered Echo speakers.
And, Brits can use Firefox browser's new 'super private mode' to avoid being tracked.
Do you think private browsing is safe? Let us know in the comments...
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]