The Gentle January series shares one practical privacy tip a day from a Markup staffer who actually uses the advice in their own life.
The Markup’s editor-in-chief, Sisi Wei, already advised you to use a privacy-friendly browser. I’ve got another recommendation that is supported by basically any browser: browse in “private” or “incognito” mode. Various browsers call it one thing or the other, but Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Safari, and Edge all have their version and, especially if you’re using one of the less extreme browsers when it comes to privacy, this method offers you more anonymity online.
For years, I did this in Firefox, but since joining the Markup and switching over to a MacBook, I’ve started doing it in Safari (and may yet switch to private windows in an even more privacy-friendly browser, thanks to Sisi’s tip). In any case, you can open up your browser and navigate to the menu that lets you open up a new window. Instead of selecting “New Window” select “New Private Window,” “New Incognito Window,” or similar.
Private mode prevents some tracking because it doesn’t store cookies or any browsing history from one online session to the next. That means you won’t get targeted ads and websites typically won’t know if you’re a return visitor. It also means if you’re using a shared computer, the person who comes after you won’t be able to see your browsing history or get into any online accounts you may have forgotten to sign out of. Closing a tab automatically logs you out.
I rarely use a shared computer these days but I continue to like private browsing as an act of subterfuge against the ad tech industry, even if it comes with inconveniences–namely, no autofill on websites, no list of recently closed tabs in a history bar, and no password memory.
No password memory means you will have to sign into websites every time you visit them. If that sounds like a dealbreaker to you, consider using a password manager, per Markup editor Ryan Tate’s tip. You do have to go to the browser settings and click a box to allow your password manager extension to work in Private Browsing, but it’s possible! And then autofill is back in your life, only more privately.
