Private browsing is a browser setting that changes how a session is stored on the device. Information kept on a device and information visible to others through an internet connection are not the same thing.
The Claim
The claim is that an Incognito or private window makes browsing invisible to other people and organisations online. The wording can encourage that assumption: Google describes Chrome Incognito as a way to browse the web more privately.
In Chrome, Incognito limits the information saved to the user’s device. That local privacy can be useful, but it does not mean that every trace of browsing disappears or that nobody else can observe it.
The Science You Need
Chrome starts a separate browsing session when someone opens an Incognito window. The browser treats that session separately from ordinary browsing, limiting what it keeps on the device.
When the session ends, Chrome removes temporary Incognito site data and the local record of sites visited. The session ends only after all Incognito windows are closed, so closing one window does not end it if another remains open.
These changes concern information stored by the browser on the device. They do not make the internet connection itself anonymous.
What the Evidence Shows
Websites and organisations managing a network may still observe activity in Incognito mode. Google specifically includes internet providers, employers and schools among those that may be able to see it.
Signing out does not necessarily stop websites from gathering information: Google says sites may still collect information about visitors who are not signed in. Mozilla also notes that private browsing does not mask a user’s IP address or location.
Websites using Google services may share information about activity on those sites with Google, including for advertising.
The Verdict
Verdict: Myth. Private browsing does not make a person anonymous on the internet. It reduces the browsing activity Firefox saves locally, but it does not hide that activity from websites or internet providers.
Chrome Incognito likewise does not change how websites and the services they use collect data. The distinction is between limiting browser records on the device and concealing activity from organisations that can observe the connection or the website visit.
What It Means in Everyday Life
Private browsing can be useful when using a shared computer or shopping for a gift, because it limits browsing information saved locally by the browser. It is a way to reduce what another person might find in that browser’s local records, not a guarantee of online anonymity.
Some things remain on the device after an Incognito session: bookmarks saved in Chrome remain available in regular browsing sessions, and downloaded files remain until they are deleted.
