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> 35.7 ±2.5% believe that Private Browsing “Prevents search engines from knowing my searches.” This doesn't seem too inaccurate. When you search for something
by apeace 9y ago
> 35.7 ±2.5% believe that Private Browsing “Prevents search engines from knowing my searches.”
This doesn't seem too inaccurate.
When you search for something on the Google search engine using private browsing, presumably you have not taken the time to login to your Google account in the private window. Therefore your search won't be saved in your account's search history. That's the behavior the user is expecting, and it's what they mean when they say "prevents search engines from knowing my searches".
It seems pedantic to point out that of course, technically, the search engine knows your search.
How else would you advise a typical user to perform "embarrassing" searches? Don't do it at all? Even if you use DuckDuckGo it will be in your browser history.
- inetknght 9y agoNot logging in to your Google account is not enough. It's already been demonstrated that sufficient information is leaked by browsers to uniquely identify without login information. Create a hash of IP address, computer display information, operating system, and user-agent; and it's a pretty good bet that hash would match your most recent logged in session almost uniquely (especially if you're not sharing your internet connection).
- apeace 9y agoBut Google doesn't fingerprint your browser and add those searches to your account history. What users care about is what's saved in their history. Many users probably don't even understand the difference between browser history and Google account search history. But private browsing works for both (provided you don't login to your account in the private window). Users don't care if, theoretically, Google could fingerprint their private browsing session. Unless they care about ad tracking, which is why I only addressed search history in my original comment.
- inetknght 9y agoUnless you visit only Google, I think your point's not as strong as you think. Yeah sure maybe Google doesn't fingerprint users but there's nothing stopping other sites from doing it. Perhaps, for example, the site you're viewing in an incognito session. Advertisers, for example, would have quite an interest in associating incognito sessions with normal sessions.