For your eyes only? Not with these popular web browsers!
For your eyes only? Not with these popular web browsers!
There’s no two ways about it – we all use the internet for different reasons, and sometimes you don’t want people to know what you’ve been up to.
You might think that you’re keeping your browsing habits under wraps when you load up your favourite browser’s ‘private window’, but new insights reveal that may not be the case.
The experts at VPNOverview.com have delved into the complicated privacy policies of some of the most popular internet browsers, to uncover how much of your ‘private’ browsing history is being shared with strangers.
They analysed Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox.
|
Browser |
What they hide |
What they show |
|
Chrome “Incognito mode” |
Chrome will not store the files you download and it will not save your browsing history. |
Your browsing activity can still be seen by:
It also allows web services, search engines and internet providers to see:
|
|
Safari “Private mode” |
Safari’s private mode won’t save your search history to your browser. |
Safari will not hide your IP address from any website or service that you use, leaving you vulnerable to identity theft. Your internet activity is also exposed to your school or employer if you’re using their network. It won’t conceal your online behaviour or protect you from being tracked by third parties. |
|
Edge “inPrivate” |
Microsoft’s Edge private mode will hide your browsing history on your device. The privacy statement highlights that Edge will only collect data that you’ve consented to providing. |
Edge’s “inPrivate” mode will not hide your browsing activity from your internet provider, school or workplace. Your collections, favourites and downloaded files will be saved, as well as any changes. They’re also synced across all your signed-in devices. |
|
Firefox “Private mode” |
Firefox has its own “Do Not Track feature”. It offers users an opportunity to opt out of tracking by the websites they visit, including data collection. |
The private browsing mode doesn’t make you anonymous to websites or your internet service provider. Any downloads from a private browser will remain on your computer. Any bookmarks made of a site whilst in the private window, will remain on your list once you leave the browsing session. |
To learn more, visit https://vpnoverview.com/privacy/anonymous-browsing/data-collection-in-private-browsing-mode-vs-normal-mode/
