You Need to stop Using INCOGNITO Mode Right Now

Summary

The video argues that Chrome’s Incognito Mode is often mistaken for online anonymity. Its main function is to keep browsing history, cookies, and other local browser data from remaining on the device after the private window closes. According to the video, Incognito Mode does not hide a user’s IP address, encrypt their traffic, or prevent websites and embedded tracking services from collecting information.

Key points

• The Brown v. Google lawsuit: The video describes a class-action lawsuit alleging that Google tracked people who believed Incognito Mode made their browsing private. It says Google settled in December 2023, agreeing to delete billions of records, block third-party cookies in Incognito by default for five years, disable a private-browsing detection signal, and revise the mode’s disclosure. The video says the settlement did not include user compensation and did not fundamentally change Incognito’s technical operation.
• Browser fingerprinting: Websites can combine details such as browser version, operating system, screen resolution, language, fonts, and graphics hardware to help identify a device. The video cites the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Panopticlick tool, now called Cover Your Tracks, and says its testing found that 83% of tested browsers had unique fingerprints.
• Canvas fingerprinting: A script can ask a browser to render an invisible image, then use tiny differences in the resulting pixels to create an identifier. The video says this can work without cookies and is unaffected by Incognito Mode.
• HTTPS and internet providers: HTTPS encrypts the contents of a connection, but the video says an internet service provider (ISP) can still see which domains a user visits and when. It also discusses U.S. ISP data-collection practices and opt-out settings, using Comcast Xfinity as an example.
• Analytics and advertising: The video says Google Analytics and Google advertising code embedded on websites can send data to Google even in an Incognito window. It argues that fingerprinting and IP addresses can help link visits and target ads without relying on cookies.
• Inspecting website requests: As a demonstration, the narration suggests opening a major news site in Incognito, pressing F12, and checking the browser’s network requests for third-party services such as Google Analytics.
• Privacy options: The video says no single tool makes someone completely private. It mentions VPNs, specialized browsers, and encrypted DNS as possible privacy tools, while describing privacy as an ongoing contest with tracking technologies. It does not provide a step-by-step setup guide or recommend a specific product.

The central takeaway is that Incognito Mode may help keep activity from other people using the same device, but it should not be treated as a way to disappear from websites, advertisers, Google, or an internet provider.

Main speakers and sources

• Speaker: A single narrator, apparently presenting for The Infographics Show.
• Sources and entities cited in the narration: Brown v. Google and related court filings; the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Panopticlick/Cover Your Tracks tool; internal Google communications described in the litigation; Google Analytics and ad services; and ISP privacy practices, including Comcast Xfinity.