Privacy mode on web browsers deletes web history and prevents websites from tracking a user’s identity and activity. Browsers with this feature include Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox. Cookies are used to keep logins active, but tracking cookies record browsing activity. Privacy mode blocks web history and page information from being logged, and users can manually clear cookies and cache. Automatic clearing of data requires logging in and downloading pages each time.
Privacy mode is a setting on web browsers that helps hide a computer user’s activity while browsing the web. This setting deletes web history data and information on a user’s computer and prevents websites from accessed to track your identity and Internet activity. Browsers with privacy mode settings include Google Chrome®, Internet Explorer® and Firefox®. Privacy mode may also be called incognito mode, stealth mode, or private browsing, and may include the ability to warn you when a website is tracking your information. Users can enable privacy setting on their browsers to cover their tracks when they visit sensitive websites.
A web browser is a software program that offers a user interface designed to allow the user to access web pages over an Internet connection. While using a browser, some web activity must be logged for a website to function properly. This information is especially important when accessing websites that require you to log in to use the service. Small files called cookies are placed on a computer to keep a login active until the user removes the cookie or logs out. One type of cookie, called a tracking cookie, records information and a user’s browsing activity.
When a user accesses the Internet through a web browser, there are many opportunities for a user to record his personal information. Every website you visit logs information about its Internet Protocol (IP) number, operating system type, and browser type, to track web user activity from afar. This information is usually used to track the popularity of a page and identify the paths that the user has followed while browsing.
Privacy Mode features include blocking a user’s computer from logging the user’s web history. A browser’s privacy mode can also be used to prevent the browser from logging page information into its cache. Cache is a folder used to temporarily store browsing data that may need to be accessed several times during a browsing session. Storing temporary files on a computer helps reduce the need to repeatedly download data, speeding up the browsing experience.
Users who want to beef up privacy without using privacy mode can often use the manual controls within the browser to clear their cookies, cache, and web history. Some browsers have options that allow you to automatically clear your web history identification when the browser is closed after use. A downside to automatic clearing of cookies and cache data is that the user will have to log in and download commonly used web pages each time he accesses each site.
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