Watching Porn ‘Incognito’ Online Isn’t As Private as You Might Think
Watching porn is a deeply private activity that a lot of folks find difficult to talk about. This is perhaps due to the air of taboo surrounding sex and sexual activities. However, you do not even need a reason to want to keep your privates private. If you want privacy, you ought to get it.
In recognition of this, browser developers have devised several ways of maintaining privacy and security while accessing porn sites. One of the commonest is using the incognito mode while browsing and/or watching porn online. In this article, we look at how safe and private the incognito mode is.
How Does the Incognito Mode Work?
Before examining the efficacy of the incognito mode, let’s examine how it actually works.
The incognito mode is a feature you find on most browsers. It is a private browsing feature that lets you surf the net anonymously. It does this by deleting every trace of your history after each session. So, when you activate the incognito mode, it wipes off your history as soon as you are done with the session. This means that anyone with access to the browser, later on, will be unaware that you visited porn sites. This is most useful if you share a device with others.
One other important function of the incognito mode is eliminating cookies. Imagine cookies to be your digital footprint or to be like crumbs. As you visit each site, you leave a little of the crumbs behind. Cookies retain information about your browsing habits, including the sites you visit, how often you visit the sites, and the activities you carry out there. It is based on this that advertising companies send you targeted adverts. Ads can be upsetting and make for a less-than-ideal surfing experience. However, they could also house malware. Thus, when the incognito mode eliminates these cookies, it saves you from the possibility of an attack.
With the Incognito mode’s removal of browsing history, you can access paid firewalls several times without being caught. This is because each one will appear like your first session. This is also another great benefit of using the incognito mode.
Does the Incognito Mode Actually Keep You Safe?
Generally, the incognito mode offers you a means to keep the browsing history on your device secret. However, if you need to keep out bad actors, evade detection, and generally keep safe, using just the incognito mode may be insufficient. Here are a few reasons why:
Lack of Encryption
When you use the Incognito mode, your network is not encrypted. Encryption is the process where your network or data is scrambled. It’d take someone who has the required key to unlock the data. The strength of encryption varies across several platforms. However, the popular ones are so strong that no one can hack your account or access your details. This prevents hackers from accessing your details and wreaking havoc on you. However, when you use the incognito mode, your network does not get encrypted; hence your security is not super-tight.
Third-Party Access
When you use the incognito mode, you prevent access to data on your physical device. However, it does nothing for the data transmitted online. Hence, anyone with access can view your data. Apart from cybercriminals whose actions are unlawful, some other categories of people have legal access to your data online. They include your Internet Service Provider (ISP), the network administrator on shared internet connections, and fellow WiFi users.
Due to the fact that your data has to be routed through your ISP’s servers, they typically have access to your data. In addition, some providers share details of users’ activities with government authorities. Thus, if you are accessing porn in a prohibited location, you could get into trouble.
Furthermore, network administrators have access to your online data. If you are connected to a central online system, the administrators of those systems will be able to see what you do online. This is the practice you’ll routinely find in places like libraries and bookshops. Using the incognito mode does not shut them out. Thus, if the organization has any issues with users watching porn, you may run into challenges.
Finally, if you use a public network such as public WiFi, everyone on the shared network will potentially access your details. The incognito mode does little to help you when you are on public WiFi. Thus, if you cannot deal with people knowing that you watch porn, you need some other form of protection apart from the regular incognito mode.
Ineffective for Bypassing Geo-restrictions
Geo-restrictions refer to geographical blocks that prevent users from accessing the content in specific locations. Content here refers to movies, TV shows, music, and so on. If geo-restrictions are implemented on any platform, it’d mean that you’ll only be able to access content meant for your specific region. The problem here is that the contents may vary such that if you are in country A, you may be unable to watch or stream content meant for country B.
Geo-restrictions can either be put in place by the government or the streaming platform in question. For example, the government can prevent residents within its location from accessing certain content, e.g., porn. When they make such rules, they block porn sites within the country. Furthermore, some streaming platforms themselves could prevent access to their content. This usually results from licensing agreements and the complexities that surround it.
The Incognito mode cannot help you fix this problem. Thus, if your favorite porn sites are blocked within your location, there’s precious little you can do. Even attempting to sign in to those sites could get you into trouble with the government.
What Alternative Can You Use?
If using the incognito mode does not really keep you private or secure, what alternatives are there? A reliable means to stay thoroughly private and safe while streaming, downloading, and watching porn is using a VPN. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) gives you the privacy that the incognito mode promises. In addition, you also get other perks and advantages.
What is a VPN, and how does it work? A VPN is software primarily designed to enhance users’ security. First, when you turn on a VPN, it automatically swaps out your IP address with one of its that is encrypted. This encryption prevents third parties from accessing your data as you use the internet. Hence, your Internet Service Provider, your regular network administrator, and cybercriminals will be unable to access your data. Second, a VPN creates a secure tunnel through which users’ data pass through. This again creates a shield such that even though anyone can see that you are using the internet, they will not tell what it is for.
There are quite many VPN providers in the market today. They all have their specialties and capabilities. More so, you will find both free VPN providers and providers who offer only paid plans. We recommend the latter category of providers. If you are looking for stellar security and privacy, paid providers offer you the best features to make that possible. You will be better served going along with a service with capabilities to keep you safe the entire time.
Why is a VPN a Better Option for Privacy When Watching Porn?
On the comparative, a VPN offers you more in terms of security and privacy when watching porn online. Below are the specifics regarding how a VPN trumps the incognito mode.
1. Provision of Security/Security
A VPN’s primary job is enhancing security. Most providers take this job seriously because it guarantees continued patronage by users. Therefore, they equip their services with features such as the unbeatable AES 256-bit encryption system, a Kill switch, Tor over VPN, obfuscated servers, and so much more. All of these features combine to make sure that third parties cannot access your data while you watch porn. Thus, if you are looking to evade the government’s monitoring eyes or prevent your ISP from spying on you, using a VPN is your best bet.
The incognito mode, on the other hand, primarily works to exclude unauthorized access to your device. It deletes your browsing session after you are done. However, other third parties can still be privy to your data.
2. Stronger Privacy Regulations
When you use a VPN, the VPN provider has access to your data. This is the same way your ISP has access to your data when you use the incognito mode. However, the difference is that VPN providers typically do not retain your browsing information after each session. Most operate a no-log policy, which means that they cannot retain your data beyond your browsing session as a matter of legal obligation.
In addition, VPN providers typically do not accede to data requests from governments. This is unlike the situation where ISPs sometimes collude with the legal authorities when using incognito mode. As a result, using a VPN assures you of stronger privacy.
3. Accessing Content Remotely
If you are in a region where porn sites are blocked, a VPN helps you beat that. While doing so, it ensures that your security is not compromised. VPN providers station their servers in various locations around the globe. If porn is blocked in your current location, you need only connect to a server in a region where porn is unblocked. You will have immediate and unrestricted access. But even more importantly, your network will be encrypted, so you will stay safe too.
4. Blocking Malware
Threats to your privacy while you watch porn online could come from malware. Bad actors sometimes target users of porn sites and infect their connections with malicious malware. This usually comes in the form of ads and popups you find on porn sites. If you use a VPN, however, you stay protected from such malware. Even if you click on an unsafe link, the VPN swings in to protect you.
How To Use a VPN
Now that you know about the benefits of a VPN, how do you use it? Here are the steps to take.
1. Select a VPN provider. There are several in the VPN market, so you could be somewhat confused. You may want to read VPN reviews online. They will give you a fair idea of what to expect with each VPN provider you are considering.
2. Download and install the VPN app compatible with your device. Downloading directly from the VPN provider’s website is the best option.
3. Connect to a VPN server in a compatible location.
4. Toggle the settings to your preference.
5. You are good to go!
Conclusion
Watching porn incognito online does not keep you as safe or private as you think. At the most, it prevents anyone from knowing that you watch(ed) porn when they go through your device. However, third parties such as your ISP and even cybercriminals will still know about your habits. To stay truly safe, you may want to use a VPN.