Many users decide to surf the net by adopting anonymous browsing, the so-called incognito mode.
However, a recent story involving the giant Google has led to a reflection on the actual functioning of anonymous browsing on the internet to actually understand what is recorded and when to use it.
In this article, therefore, we see what happened to Google regarding users who browse anonymously, what is recorded and why to use it.
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What happened to Google for anonymous browsing
Google was recently involved in an affair regarding anonymous internet browsing. In this regard, Google was forced to delete billions of data from millions of users who browse in incognito mode with the Google Chrome browser.
The accusation against Google was that of still collecting data from users who surf the net anonymously without having correctly informed them about this data collection.
The story has therefore highlighted an aspect of no small importance which is often underestimated by users who use the incognito mode of surfing the net.
How anonymous web browsing works
So what happens to the collection of data from users who surf the net in private mode?
In many cases, users prefer to browse online and use the Google search engine anonymously, with the hope of not being tracked. But is it really like that?
It must be said that when browsing the Internet in private mode, users are still tracked. Anonymous browsing, also called incognito, essentially means that the user’s search will not be visible in the history section relating to all searches carried out online.
Regarding the discussion of a site’s cookies. When you browse online with normal browsing, cookies are saved automatically, while with anonymous browsing this does not happen. This means that the authentication data used by users to access personal sections on websites when browsing in incognito mode will not be saved either.
This is, therefore, an important aspect that can be exploited in particular if you access personal profiles with sensitive data, for example a bank’s website, or even when browsing with a device that is not yours.
Data recorded with incognito browsing
What few people know concerns the actual anonymity of browsing. In fact, many do not know that anonymity only applies to the device used to connect to the internet.
This means that anonymity applies at a local level. While the company that provides the connection, the provider as well as the IP address record and track the search carried out.
In this sense, the research and related data are still recorded and tracked.
According to what experts in the tech sector have explained, even with incognito browsing online, a digital footprint always remains, which allows us to trace the activities and searches carried out by users, just as happens with traditional browsing.
At the same time, anonymous browsing does not offer users any type of further protection against any risks of attacks from viruses, pirates or hackers.
When is it better to use anonymous browsing
So when can it be useful to take advantage of incognito browsing online? In general, therefore, the convenience of this navigation method lies only in the fact that the cookies that are usually used by companies and websites to find out the user’s interests are not saved.
For this reason, it may be useful to use this browsing session mode to purchase airline tickets or book a hotel stay.
In this way, using anonymous browsing, users could find more advantageous prices compared to when traditional browsing is used.
Read also: Does Google spy on you? How to find out how much it knows and how to limit it
