Those in the know are aware that switching Chrome into Incognito Mode does not mean your browsing is a secret — but many people assume that the browsing mode offers greater levels of privacy than it actually does.
Now Google has admitted as much. The company is updating its description of Incognito Mode in response to a lawsuit. The revised wording makes it clear that Google continues to collect data about user activity in Incognito Mode.
While Google has never said that Incognito Mode protected Chrome users from data collection and online tracking, it also never said otherwise. This led many people to assume that flipping to Incognito offered the same level of security and privacy as using a VPN — something that has simply never been even remotely true.
As noted by MSPoweruser, the current description that appears when switching to Incognito Mode reads:
You’ve gone Incognito
Now you can browse privately, and other people who use this device won’t see your activity. However, downloads, bookmarks and reading list items will be saved.
In the latest Canary build of Chrome, however, this has been changed so it now says:
You’ve gone Incognito
Others who use this device won’t see your activity, so you can browse more privately. This won’t change how data is collected by websites you visit and the services they use, including Google. Downloads, bookmarks and reading list items will be saved.
The update wording will gradually filter down to non-Canary builds of Chrome, although the precise timing is not yet known.
