Google engineers joked that Chrome's Incognito Mode isn't exactly private when research shows people think it is, Bloomberg news agency reported, citing documents in a lawsuit filed against Google two years ago. The Incognito Mode only ensures that the surfing behavior of the user is not stored in the browser or on his computer.
However, users think that browser mode prevents tracking, geolocation and advertisements, for example, research shows (pdf). Google engineers were also aware of this. One engineer, for example, says in an email that the word Incognito and the image of a spy should be stopped. “Make Incognito Mode really private,” she writes. "We're limited in how much we can tout Incognito because it's not really private, so requires really vague, obscure language that's almost harmful."
Another engineer jokingly responds by stating that "Guy Incognito" from The Simpsons should have been used as an icon, as this would better illustrate the privacy protection offered. In a response to the lawsuit, Google states that it is widely known that the Incognito Mode does not really shield browsing and that users have given permission to be tracked by the tech company.
The complainants in the lawsuit believe that Google is not transparent enough about this. For example, they point to an internal proposal at Google to state in the home screen of the Incognito Mode that users are not protected against Google, but only against other people who use the device. However, the top at Google did not like such a notification. A hearing in the lawsuit was held last Tuesday. The judge will now decide whether it can go ahead as a mass claim.