Why You Should Use Private Browsing Online

Another benefit of private browsing is that it can help block third-party access to your data. Although the protection is not all-encompassing, private browsers can provide you with a little more piece of mind as you handle sensitive information online. By now, many browsers automatically block third-party cookies by default. These include Firefox, Safari, Brave, Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera and more. Some of these browsers have varying degrees of tracking protection, so be sure to check your browser’s current policies and settings regarding cookie acceptance. If you’d like to learn more about third-party tracking, visit our related post about browser cookies.

Again, though, if you want total privacy online, a private browsing mode is not enough. Your location, device and site activity can still be gleaned from your private browsing session. For example, when you access a webpage, the site you’re visiting can still see your geographical information, your time spent on their site and your interactions with their page. If you want increased privacy, use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Learn more about online privacy tactics by visiting our related post about how to use a VPN.

One more limitation of private browsing should be noted here: your favorite private browser cannot prevent your device from being infected by malware or viruses. If you click on a link in a web page that introduces malicious software into your device, no amount of privacy measures can put a stop to it. You’ll need some anti-virus software and well-practiced online safety measures instead. Brush up on your knowledge about how to maintain safe online techniques by visiting our post about increasing your online security practices.

And, finally, a word to the wise: using an incognito mode on your work computer will not prevent your employer from being privy to your online activity. A private browser cannot counteract any tracking software running on your device, as is often the case with devices provided by schools, employers and other institutions.

Private browsing is important because you should have the right to protect your data. Even if you think your data is inconsequential, it’s still yours and it’s worth knowing where it’s going. This includes folks who assert that they “have nothing to hide.” Although that may be true on a law enforcement front, we all should have things that we want hidden from strangers, such as personal preferences, general habits, financial information or health data.

When you browse without your privacy mode activated, many entities can be tracking you (Google, ad engines, social media, etc.). Therefore, when you’re working on your browser, a multitude of sites can keep an eye on things like what you’re looking for, how long you spend looking for it, what you buy, which videos you watch, your search history, which ads you’re seeing, which ads you’re clicking on and more.

Private browsing does not eliminate the visibility of all your trackable activities, but it can remove third-party cookies which track you between the sites you visit (and even between sites you never visit). This works because private browsers delete your data and cookies at the conclusion of your session, so tracking cookies can’t stick around long enough to gather your information in the long term.

You can also use private browsing to protect your information from being discovered by other people who use the same device as you (such as a public library computer, for example). That way, the next person on the computer can’t investigate your session history.

One of the most prominent reasons tracking exists (legally) is for the purposes of advertising. Sites like Google have trackers on millions of sites to watch for user activity. They can do this by implanting third-party cookies in certain sites. In short, third-party tracking happens when a website stores a tiny packet of information about your online activity—even if you’ve never visited that website before—allowing that website to see what your online behavior is like when you go elsewhere on the internet. Advertisers find this strategy helpful because they can use the extra information about their customers to optimize their ad performance.

For example, if a power tool company’s advertising department has access to your online habits and sees that you’re interested in their products but that you also shop on sites for work boots, they would try to target you with power tool ads on the work boot sites you visit. Although these ads could be potentially helpful (why, yes, I do need a new electric drill, thank you), some users are uncomfortable with the fact that these targeted ads are evidence of having been observed by a third party. Additionally, it’s possible for targeted ads to refer to sensitive topics which you might not like to see on other sites you visit.

Google has pledged to start dropping third-party cookies in 2023, but their team is taking so long primarily because they wanted to find a way to help businesses keep advertising online in the absence of third-party cookies. While we wait for one of the biggest advertising forces to pull away from third-party tracking, we can use private browsing, cookie settings and VPNs to keep our data as private as possible.