Leave no trace with Firefox private browsing
By Dave Jeyes
Mozilla has released the latest test version of its Firefox browser software for download. Firefox 3.1 Beta 2 includes a private browsing feature that has been anxiously awaited by both users and Web advertisers for very different reasons.
Firefox’s private browsing feature lets you surf without bogging down your computer with cookies or leaving anything in the history. It’s perfect for when you’re surfing sites that you’re not so sure about.
To use private browsing in Firefox, you’ll need to install the latest version announced here. Then you find the feature under the Tools menu to start browsing in private mode.
These days what sites can you be sure won’t install tracking cookies to monitor your Web surfing habits? Many online advertisers use these cookies to track your surfing habits in order to display more relevant ads across many major sites.
In advertising lingo this method of serving ads is called behavioral targeting. The advertisers’ tracking cookies follow your moves on the Web in hopes of learning about your interests to serve ads that you might be interested in.
If these tracking cookies seem a little creepy, then you understand why Ehsan Akhgari of Mozilla thought this was an important feature for Firefox users. He offers an example of using private browsing to make sure Firefox doesn’t keep a history when you’re looking for another job at work.
It’s important to note that private browsing mode doesn’t mean you’re completely invisible or anonymous to sites on the Internet. The new feature will only make sure that Firefox doesn’t keep a history of the sites or pick up any nasty tracking cookies that might try to hitch a ride on your computer.
At this point you may be wondering why anyone would turn off private browsing mode once it’s enabled. If you might want to look back through your browser history or want a site to remember you and log you back in, then you’ll need to turn off private browsing.
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December 9th, 2008
FYI: most companies that care about employee browsing habits also log Web sites by user on their network, so just having the “private browsing” mode doesn’t truly protect your privacy–it just keeps your own PC or workstation clear. So, no, don’t risk browsing for another job or for porn on your company computer, even with a private browsing feature.
Similarly, large broadband providers like Verizon, Qwest, Earthlink, Comcast, etc., all keep a log of Web sites their customer accounts have been used to visit, which can be subpoenaed by law enforcement, etc., if you are suspected of illegal activity.
The main thing that this feature does is keep your computer free of adware and tracking cookies–which is great, but not a privacy panacea.