If you think using Chrome will hide your online tracks, you're in for a disappointment. A new investigation reveals that the data of users who use incognito browsing is being collected and Google has the ability to link that information to the corresponding account.
Let's say you open an incognito window in Chrome. Websites that run Google ads automatically send anonymous cookies to the browser associated with the user.
So, the next time you're browsing the web normally and sign in to a Google service, like Gmail or YouTube, the fact that you're simply signed in to Google makes it possible to associate your private web activity with your account.
This tracking can only be stopped if the cookies have expired or have been manually deleted by the user.
Douglas Schmidt, a computer science professor at Vanderbilt University who made this discovery, says this fact is completely unnoticed by users because there are so many disclaimers if you read the fine print of incognito browsing.
It's important to note that the study couldn't prove whether Google actually follows the above process to link anonymous data from incognito mode to a user's account when they log in. But the company didn't deny the possibility of such a method.
Meanwhile, Google has discredited the report by claiming that Schmidt is biased as he is also a witness for Oracle in a lawsuit against the company.
However, it's important to keep in mind that browsing in incognito mode isn't a universal way to hide your tracks. And it's probably not a good idea to sign in to Google services while using incognito browsing.
