Report: ‘Porn Mode’ Privacy May Not Be Secure

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — A new report says that private browsing options provided by the four major browser publishers aren’t as anonymous and secure as some surfers may think.

Researchers at Stanford University’s Science Security Lab compared the anonymity and security of private browsing modes in Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Apple Safari.

They concluded that, “current private browsing implementations provide privacy against some local and web attackers but can be defeated by determined attackers.”

The private mode is designed to prevent the browser from retaining browsing tracking data.

Private browsing can include visited-site history, cookies, search history, download history, web form data, and temporary files and is colloquially known as "porn mode" because — as the researchers determined scientifically for the first time what many have long suspected — people most often use private browsing to visit pornographic sites.

Despite its most common use, though, the implementation of private browsing has not yet been standardized and can vary from browser to browser, according to CNET.com.

The report also concluded that th risk of add-ons writing to the hard drive or retaining browsing tracks from private browsing sessions varies depending on the add-on.

In Firefox, for example, 16 of the top 32 JavaScript-only extensions allowed writing to the disk that a hacker could then later uncover.

In Chrome, the study determined that 71 of the top 100 extensions use the "localstorage" API, implying that they might pose a risk to Incognito (Google's name for its private browsing feature).

"Incognito mode helps you limit the information that is saved on your computer when you browse. It does not remove all records, as we make clear in our Help Center and whenever a user open a new Incognito mode window," a Google representative said.

Google does allow for users to select extensions to run in Incognito individually.

The researchers determined that an add-on designed to disable extensions automatically in private mode could mitigate the risks posed by add-ons that write to the disk during private browsing, although they stated that "we need to restart Firefox to make sure that appropriate extensions are completely enabled or disabled."

The Adobe Flash plugin used to pose a tracking risk, but it has since been updated, "to be consistent with the browser's privacy mode," the researchers said.

Related:  

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Braindance Unveils '6DOF' VR Tech

Interactive virtual reality platform Braindance has debuted its new Six Degrees of Freedom (6DOF) VR technology.

Kiiroo, Pineapple Support Launch 'Empower Hour' Series on FeelHubX YouTube Channel

Kiiroo and Pineapple Support have teamed up to launch the “Empower Hour” series on the FeelHubX YouTube channel.

Kansas Law Firm Deploys Religion, Bunk Science While Recruiting Plaintiffs Under AV Law

Kansas-based personal injury law firm Mann Wyatt Tanksley is promoting debunked scientific theories and leveraging religious affiliation against the industry while it seeks potential plaintiffs for lawsuits against adult companies under the state’s age verification law.

UK Tech Secretary Lists Age Verification Among OSA Priorities

Peter Kyle, the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, on Wednesday made public a draft version of his priorities for implementing the Online Safety Act (OSA), including age verification.

AEBN Publishes Popular Seraches by Country for September, October

AEBN has released its list of popular searches from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Avery Jane Featured on 'Adult Time Podcast'

Avery Jane is the latest guest on the “Adult Time Podcast,” hosted by studio CCO Bree Mills.

FSC: Kansas Law Firm Threatens Adult Site Over Age Verification

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has been notified that Kansas law firm Mann Wyatt Tanksley has sent a letter threatening an adult website with a lawsuit for breaking the state's age verification law.

10th Circuit Rejects Final FSC Appeal in Utah AV Case

The United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit on Monday rejected a motion by Free Speech Coalition (FSC) requesting that the full court rehear its appeal in Free Speech Coalition v. Anderson, the industry trade association’s challenge to Utah’s age verification law.

Trump Nominates Project 2025 Contributor, Section 230 Foe to Chair FCC

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated, as his pick to head the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr — an author of Project 2025 who has called for gutting Section 230 protections.

Streamate's Elevate Partners With Miss Mei on Decriminalization Initiative

Streamate’s Elevate initiative is debuting a November collaboration with creator and community advocate Miss Mei that will highlight the modern criminalization of sex work.

Show More