Often represented by a small hidden icon, the private browsing tool quickly gives the impression of being incognito. Spoiler: that’s not really the case.
We have all used the famous “private browsing” mode on our computer at one time. Most of us suddenly felt safe from any form of espionage, taking the opportunity to do the most shameful web searches. Unfortunately, your little secrets are not completely safe thanks to this technique…
The first thing to know is that there is not only one form of private browsing: the rules can vary significantly from one browser to another.
Keeping its share of mystery…
Overall, the tool avoids the retention of data such as your history, cookies, searches or temporary files. This applies as long as you navigate in the relevant window. The quality of the information you will find will be the same, except for one detail: it will not be targeted specifically for you. Ads, for example, won’t depend on your searches outside of private browsing. You may be offered an advertisement for a pregnancy test even if you are a man and, a priori, the chances for you to get pregnant are rather slim (but not non-existent, at the risk of surprising you).
The “incognito mode” is very handy if you want to make a shameful query on a shared computer, or prepare a surprise for a person who sometimes uses your computer. If you plan to ask your sweetheart, he or she will not see that you bought an engagement ring on the internet. For the surprise, it’s better.
It’s also useful if you want to view a video or profile on a social network without being spotted. Indeed, in private browsing, you will no longer be connected to your usual accounts. Do you need to verify information about the person who is interviewing you tomorrow without them seeing it? So switch to private browsing before opening Linkedin.
… Or not
If you were hoping that the FBI, hackers or the police would not see your research, you will have to adopt other methods!
Private browsing does not provide additional protection compared to regular browsing, and so it means that you are not better protected against the risk of hacking. It’s a bit like closing the shutters of your room but leaving the front door open at night: a burglar won’t be able to see what’s going on in your bed, but that won’t stop him from exploring the rest of your house.
It also does not guarantee a complete erasure of data on your computer. A thorough analysis of your machine by law enforcement or other experts will be enough to thwart your vain attempts at anonymity.
If you have a particularly risky job and handle sensitive data (journalism, politics, exchange of confidential files, etc.), it is better to turn to a VPN, Tor, Tails, which is used to encrypt your hard drive, or choose better passwords thanks to our dedicated tutorial.
Team Qwant blog
Finally, be aware that some search engines offer features similar to private browsing, but continuously. At Qwant for example, we have a “zero cookies” policy, and strongly believe that what you search for on the web is only your privacy. We do not remember anything, nor do we use any personal data for advertising purposes.
