What Private Browsing Actually Does

Google settled a $5 billion lawsuit over tracking users in Chrome’s Incognito mode. The case highlighted the gap between what people think private browsing does and what it actually does.

What it does

When you use incognito/private browsing mode:

Browser doesn’t save history: Pages you visit don’t appear in your browser history
Cookies are temporary: Session cookies are deleted when you close the incognito window
Form data isn’t saved: Usernames, passwords, and autofill data aren’t retained
Downloaded files remain: Files you download stay on your device (but aren’t in download history)

That’s it. Everything else about your browsing is exactly the same as normal mode.

What it doesn’t do

Your ISP still sees everything: Every website you visit is logged by your Internet Service Provider
Your employer sees everything: If you’re on a work network, your network administrator sees all traffic
Websites track you: The website you visit knows your IP address, browser fingerprint, and can set tracking cookies during your session
Google still tracks in Chrome: Google’s own tracking operates within incognito mode (the basis of the $5B lawsuit)
Browser fingerprinting works: Your device’s unique fingerprint is identical in normal and incognito mode
DNS queries are visible: The domain names you visit are visible to your DNS provider (usually your ISP)
Physical surveillance unaffected: Cameras, ALPR, and sensors don’t care which browser mode you use

Who private browsing hides from

Exactly one person: someone who picks up your device after you and looks at your browser history. That’s the total protection.

Real privacy tools

For actual browsing privacy:

VPN: Hides traffic from ISP (but VPN provider sees it)
Tor Browser: Routes through 3 nodes for anonymity
Shield: Blocks trackers, fingerprinting, and ad networks
Encrypted DNS: Hides domain lookups from ISP
Tails: Leaves no trace on the computer

Private browsing is better than nothing but only barely. Real privacy requires real tools.

Shield provides the browser protection that incognito mode promises but doesn’t deliver. Sentinel addresses the physical surveillance layer that no browser mode touches.