Private Web Browsing Explained

If you spend a significant amount of your day online, realize that others can see virtually all your activity.

It’s like having a few interested parties looking over your shoulder as you type and click. Your internet service provider (ISP), browser, search engine, social media sites and others are watching, mostly to understand what you like so they can serve up relevant advertisements.

Being watched also puts you more at risk for cybersecurity threats, so taking precautions to remain private should be your first priority. Doing so doesn’t require a lot of technical know-how. A few keystrokes and some software should keep you safe.

Private browsers work better than going incognito

Many web surfers choose private or incognito mode when opening a favorite web browser because it deletes your history and trackable cookies after your surfing session. Be aware your online activity is still visible during your time online. This info can be tracked, saved and shared or sold to third parties.

While private browsing prevents information from being stored automatically on your device, your activity and your general location through your device’s IP address, a numeric designation that identifies its location on the internet, are still seen.

Instead, consider a more private browser for your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet such as Avast Secure Browser, Brave, DuckDuckGo, Epic Privacy Browser, Tor or Vivaldi. Some mainstream browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Opera also do a great job with privacy.

At its core, private browsers block trackers and ads on websites you visit. Some even offer advanced features such as bookmark and password synching between devices, customized news feeds, secure search and virtual private networks (VPNs).

Private browsers may look like others, but they work differently on the back end. Tor routes your traffic through multiple proxy servers that act as middlemen between you and the websites you want to browse to keep you anonymous online.

Private search engines help with anonymous exploration

If you prefer to stay on your existing browser but want more privacy when looking something up, opt for a private search engine to remain anonymous. None of your search history is tracked, analyzed, saved or shared. Your device’s IP address isn’t seen or stored either.