What Exactly Is Private Browsing And Is It Really Private?

Privacy is the most important concern for every internet user who uses a web browser. Everyone is conscious of safe browsing and wants to keep themselves out of sight while they visit web pages of their interest. We all want to shroud our browsing activities from third-party sites to ensure our safety and healthy surfing.

Private browsing is a security attribute provided by browsers to prevent websites to storage the browsing history of users. That is, a private browser mode does not store the user's activity on the browser and keeps him exclusive throughout his search. The web cache and storage of data in cookies is also disabled in this mode.

At present many browsers facilitate private browsing mode. Some of them include Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, Opera Mini etc. Every browser has different functionality and hence each one of them provides a different criterion to go private. Some of them provide advanced protection while some just disable browsing history. Though this privacy is limited within the browser application only, yet you can utilise most of the advantages of private browsing. Let's have a look at them.

Merits of private browsing:

• It restricts the browsing history to collect autofill passwords, usernames, and personal information which you have entered on a previous website.

• It does not allow friend recommendations to outsource your search.

• It prevents the third-party websites to save your login details without your consent.

• You can sign in to more than one account via multiple tabs.

• Most importantly, it prevents other users to track your search history on another device.

Browsers support private browsing modes that perform similar tasks but differ in their functionality. Some of them are described below:

Google Chrome

In Google Chrome, private browser is known as Incognito Mode, wherein you can see the layout of a secret agent with a message that reads "You have gone Incognito". You can access this private mode from the settings menu of your browser. Incognito mode does not keep track of your browsing history, downloaded files, passwords or usernames, and your search activity. But yes, those files will be stored in your hard drive while you download them. Hence you have to delete them on your own if you want to remove them permanently. Also, your Internet Service Provider might track the websites you visit even on Incognito mode by collecting your IP address.

Internet Explorer and Edge

Browsers like Internet Explorer and Edge support private browsing by InPrivate browsing mode. It is accessible from the "more" tab menu on the browser application. Unlike google chrome, it does not clearly show you the private mode but some indicators might help. Similar to Incognito mode InPrivate browsing also disable browsing history, storing local data, passwords etc. In addition, it also disables the third party toolbars to access your data when you open this mode.

Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox supports the security mode by the name of Private Browsing Mode. You can access this mode by clicking on the 3 horizontal bars at the top right corner of your browser window. You can also access it by right click on the website and then click "open link in new Private window". The window opens with a purple mask on the screen and the features that the private mode provides are listed on it. The private mode works the same as Incognito and InPrivate browsing mode but excels the two with an additional feature of what is known as "Tracking Protection". By tracking protection the mode prevents third-party sites to record your search habits. This makes Private browsing mode even safer than the other two.

Safari

Safari is a web browser for Android users and supports Private browsing by deleting the temporary files while searching. To access this mode enable it from the Safari web browser's file menu and then click on new Private window. It automatically removes all the form details, browsing history and other activities from your browser.

Opera

Opera calls its private browsing mode by Private Tab or Private Window. It is just the same as all the other private browsing modes but stands unique in terms of one feature that adds a level up secrecy to your browsing, and that is a VPN connection. It adds additional privacy and security to your personal information on the website.

Now let us come to the main issue. Are these private browsing modes really private? Do they provide complete privacy? Certainly not. Your browsing history is hidden from someone who uses the same computer but is not concealed from your internet service provider. The reason is your IP(Internet Protocol) address. It stores all the information about your internet activities and private browsing modes cannot restrict the firewalls and proxy servers to keep track of them. The IP address is tied to every website you open and these IP address can be collected by ISP or law enforcement agencies very easily. With the help of this IP address, they can track information about your visited web pages. There are some security issues in these modes that still stick your browsing history to you.

For an example, the extensions in any browser record your browsing history. In latest versions of Google Chrome, the extensions are disabled in Incognito mode. But the browser allows both the modes to run simultaneously. As a result of this, the extension enabled in the normal mode is capable of tracking the activities of a user in private mode.

It is not possible to hide the web pages you visited from the hard drive of your computer. It records the running log of each web page. Also, some software bugs like the ones present in the less secure versions of Safari can restore your browsing history if you fail to close the private mode normally. Private browsing methods can control only your computer to save files. Other servers and routers still have access to it. The traffic on your website travels everywhere and hence allows access to your browsing history.

Therefore, private browsing does not provide you with complete isolation. It cannot secure your privacy to the fullest. It just hides your browsing details from the other person using your computer but not from other networks. You need to use other network security features along with this to ensure complete privacy. But if you just need to conceal your browsing details from someone else who use your computer then private modes are the best choice.