Do web browser private modes protect user privacy or just give the appearance of privacy?
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Incognito provides privacy against other users of that same computer, but provides no privacy towards other elements in the data chain.
Consider it as a very convenient way of clearing your saved data after using the internet – incognito mode deletes your browser history, cookies and other saved data so that the next user cannot see what you were doing.
Unfortunately to look at your chosen websites in the first place, all of that information needs to be routed through your ISP and various servers, and deleting the saved data on your browser will not prevent them from having seen that data as it was transmitted to you. So your ISP will still have the ability to view what you were looking at.
So incognito is great for hiding your viewing from those your share a computer with (whether because you were trying too but then a secret present like incognito was originally advertised for, or looking at… other things is up to you), but should you be doing something properly illegal and law enforcement become involved, it will not protect you from your deleted history being requested from an ISP or similar.
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