A recent legal settlement spotlights privacy issues with browsers' 'private' modes, such as Chrome's Incognito.

The settlement enforces more stringent privacy protections for users.

Private browsing modes don't save history or cookies, but don't conceal your IP or stop websites from tracking you.

Alternatives like VPNs and privacy-centric search engines offer more security, though complete online anonymity is rare.

Users should understand the real scope of privacy that private browsing modes provide.