Welcome to Mythbuster Monday, where we tackle tech myths that leave us vulnerable. This week we are going to discuss one of the biggest misconceptions in digital world privacy: Incognito Mode.
You click that button, next screen goes dark, as there is not allowed to take that screen screenshot so can go and click and get that screen. You will feel like a digital ninja. A completely invisible to the world. Right?
The Myth: "Incognito Mode makes me completely anonymous online, no one can see what I am doing on the internet."
The Truth: Incognito Mode is a convenience tool than a privacy tool. It is like a whispering in a public library. It does not make you invisible. It just means the people next to you might not overhear you.
What Incognito Mode Actually Does:
- Hides your browsing history locally from other users on your device.
- Does not save cookies long term so you can stay logged out of sites.
- Does not save form data or passwords from that session.
What Incognito Mode Does Not Do:
- Hide your activity from your Internet Service Provider.
- Hide your activity from your employer or school if you are on their network.
- Hide your activity from you the websites you visit. They still see your IP address and track your session.
- Protect you from malware or the hackers
How Can You Actually Be Anonymous:
If you really need to hide you digital information, you need stronger tools listed below:
- Use a reputable VPN that will hide you IP address from the websites and encrypt you traffic from your Internet Service Provider.
- Use a Tor Browser which actually made for anonymity, it routes you traffic through multiple layers of encryption.
- True anonymity online is difficult to achieve and often unnecessary for everyday use. The goal should be privacy not anonymity.
Let's Bust Some Myths:
Before reading this, what did you think Incognito Mode did?
i) Made me completely anonymous.
ii) Just hide my history from others.
iii) I never use it, I have nothing to hide.
iv) I am a privacy pro and know this already
Your Monday Myth-Busting Mission:
The next time when you open an Incognito window, remember what it is really for. And if you are serious about privacy, take 5 minutes to research a good VPN.