Incognito mode makes you anonymous
Incognito or private browsing mode only prevents the local browser from saving history, cookies, and form data. It does not hide activity from internet service providers, employers, websites, or advertisers, as confirmed by a $5 billion class action settlement against Google in 2024.
What we know
Private browsing mode is a local browser feature. It clears cookies, history, and cached data from the device at the end of the session. This is useful for shared computers or keeping sessions separate, but it provides no network-level anonymity. Your ISP, network administrator, and every website you visit can still observe your traffic.
A class action lawsuit filed in 2020 alleged that Google continued tracking users even when they were browsing in Chrome's incognito mode, collecting data through Google Analytics, Google Ad Manager, and other tools embedded in websites. Google settled the case in 2024 for approximately $5 billion, with an agreement to delete billions of data records collected from incognito users and to disclose more clearly what data is collected in that mode.
For meaningful anonymity, users need a combination of a reputable VPN, the Tor network, and avoiding logging into any personal accounts. Even then, browser fingerprinting, which identifies devices by their unique configuration of hardware and software settings, can track users across sessions without cookies.
Common claims
- Incognito mode hides your browsing from your internet providerFalse. ISPs see all network traffic regardless of browser mode.
- Google cannot track you in incognito modeFalse. Google settled a $5 billion lawsuit in 2024 over tracking incognito users via embedded services.
- Incognito mode is useful for privacyPartially true. It prevents local history storage and keeps sessions separate, but offers no network anonymity.