Is Incognito Mode Really Private Through Texas Networks?

The age-old question: Are you really untraceable in incognito mode on Google? I'm sure it comes to nobody's surprise that the answer is both yes and no. You won't have ads targeted towards you, but your internet provider will most likely log your activities.

The Truth About Incognito Mode

I hate to burst your bubble, but incognito mode doesn't actually keep you private. Not completely, that is. You see, KXAN reports that you can think of going incognito as if you are starting fresh on your browser.

Your browser also will refrain from sending targeted ads and suggested brands. When you close the tab, all search history and cookies will be wiped before you open the browser again.

This can be very helpful, especially if you want to search more sensitive topics like healthcare or personal finance, or you are using a public computer at the hotel or library.

What incognito mode DOESN'T do is completely wipe the search from your network or ignore your device's location. See, every computer and smart phone have what's called an IP address. This is unique to each device, similar to having their own identifying code or personal name that no other device has.

The IP address is what many big companies use to track your online behavior and third party advertisement. This can even happen in incognito mode.

In fact, just last year, Google agreed to wipe billions of online records from users surfing through incognito mode. This followed a major settlement that accused the tech giant of illegal surveillance of citizens.

Texas AG Ken Paxton put his hat in the ring involving Google's lawsuit and online privacy of all Texas citizens back in 2022.

If you truly want to be anonymous online, you could always pay for a trusted virtual private network (VPN). However, it's important to remember that the second you open a new tab, no matter what network or browser you are on, you'd be hard-pressed to remain 100% anonymous.