'Incognito Mode' Isn't Really Private. Try Browser Compartmentalization

tedlistens writes: One of the most common techniques people think can help hide their activity is the use of an 'incognito' mode in a browser,' writes Michael Grothaus at Fast Company. But 'despite what most people assume, incognito modes are primarily built to block traces of your online activity being left on your computer -- not the web. Just because you are using incognito mode, that doesn't mean your ISP and sites like Google, Facebook, and Amazon can't track your activity.' However, there's still a way to brew your own, safer 'incognito mode.' It's called browser compartmentalization. Grothaus writes: 'The technique sees users using two or even three browsers on the same computer. However, instead of switching between browsers at random, users of browser compartmentalization dedicate one browser to one type of internet activity, and another browser to another type of internet activity.

Specifically, the article recommends one browser for sites you need to log into, and another for random web surfing and any web searches. 'By splitting up your web activity between two browsers, you'll obtain the utmost privacy and anonymity possible without sacrificing convenience or the ease of use of the websites you need to log in to.' It recommends choosing a privacy-focused browser like Brave, Firefox, Apple's Safari, or Microsoft's Edge. 'As for Chrome: It's made by Google, whose sole aim is to know everything you do online, so it's probably best to stay away from Chrome if you value your privacy.'

The article is part of a series titled 'The Privacy Divide,' which explores 'misconceptions, disparities, and paradoxes that have developed around our privacy and its broader impacts on society.'

Read more of this story at Slashdot.