I doubt there are any surprises. But saw this article, hopefully folks start to learn to not trust incognito mode lol
7 Likes
The very idea that a trusted company like Google would track user activity is truly shocking.
20 Likes
My first impression is that you buy a collander to store your passwords, and now theyāve been asked to plug ONE holeā¦ so now itās surely safe.
Much as Iāve enjoyed some Google stuff over the years (and thereās no denying that these guys are clever) I do wonder whatās next and when itās going to take over.
2 Likes
That was an interesting read. Thank you for sharing. Does incognito mode even provide any benefits outside of āprivateā browsing?
If they are spying its not PRIVATE
3 Likes
Not surprised in the least and known this is their pattern and behavior so how can one be shocked. This is what i hate about ALL these companies Google, Microsoft, Facebook etc etc. Itās going to be even worse with AI being implemented. I donāt like it at all!
5 Likes
I donāt even know why incognito mode, or private mode/window in other browsers, are even a thing. The only thing it does in practice is just delete clear cache, cookies and browsing historyā¦ You can set that up with 1 click.
P.S.
2 Likes
I think everybody I know uses it so that wherever they want to go to doesnāt effect their history or cookies. Soā¦ you knowā¦ adult entertainment stuff and the likeā¦
4 Likes
Seems there is no space left on device.
2 Likes
I stopped using everything from google I possibly can, and started nearly 2 decades ago! I do have an Android phone, but have de-googled it as good I can and use Linux native apps from Fdroid on it mostly. For my laptop, network and workstations, I have been 100% Linux for 14 years now, and I use Duck Duck go, Open Maps, and other more FOSS centric stuff, and Firefox, and have but a single google email and whatever the google account is called now (used to be plus) in order to use YouTube, and it only, because I was on YouTube when it first got started, and there are too many great channels that havenāt gone to FOSS alternatives. So I was a YouTuber before google bought it and made it all creepy and nasty, so if it werenāt for the great content, I would be rid of it too in a heart beat, and I bet you 45,000 penguins 
ā¦ on it!
I donāt trust them at all!
1 Like
EVERYBODY knew āincognitoā meant you could hide your tracks from others who may share your computer, but youād never hide your browsing from them. Google never hid that. One of the rare cases Iād call judicial over-reach involving those dirtbags.
The passive-aggressive apology/lie from google is GOLD: "Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda says in a statement that the company āis happy to delete old technical data that was never associated with an individual and was never used for any form of personalization.ā "
Oh wait, and this is priceless, did anyone notice this? "Castaneda also noted that the company will now pay āzeroā dollars as part of the settlement after earlier facing a $5 billion penalty**
they didnāt lose one penny here. they would have won on appeal anyway. the only cost will be the overtime paid to 2 employees as the hit the magic āDELETEā button.
The ruthlessness of Microsoft back in the day set a precedent only to be furthur expanded by the next mega corp/gov. Seems to be the status quo of everything now a days.
2 Likes
Google & Facebook 
of evil IMO 
Facebook still takes the Cake 
though
Iām so glad Iām not part of that in any way shape or form anymore personally I found Facebook to be nerve-racking & anxiety inducing TBH 
I guess thatās just my personal opinion though
Kind of scaryā¦ Fr 
Sometimes I worry that I will say the wrong thing or upset the wrong person on the internet too and especially when Iām drinking but even when Iām sober and Iām like oh my God whatās the government going to do to me. Just for saying something stupidā¦ Sometimesā¦ I just donnoā¦ maybe Iām too paranoid I donāt know 
Incognito has always been a joke. Iāve never used it ever! It doesnāt do anything for you.
1 Like
Just a few I find helpful:
- For web development, it means that within the same browser, I can be simultaneously signed into a websiteās back-end making changes, while able to test those changes in an Incognito window as the public would see them (not signed in).
- If I want to sign-in to a service only very temporarily, I can do so in an Incognito window without needing to fuss about clearing cache and cookies. This is how I handle most websites that require sign-in, because realistically, we donāt need to remain signed in to most websites.
- Changes to per-website security settings in a normal tab are persistant. Changes to per-website security settings in an Incognito tab, are reset when closed. If one runs a tight ship with what they permit (JavaScript, cookies, etc), this is very useful.
3 Likes
Iām sure there are things that are good about incognito but most home users think they are hidden, not being tracked and invisible which is a fallacy.
1 Like