Google’s new patent turns on private browsing automatically

Google has just been granted a patent for a way to automatically enable incognito mode on desktop and mobile browsers.

As first spotted by Patent Yogi, the method described in US Patent No. 8,935,798 B1 will prevent browsers from storing data like browsing history and user input when browsing Web pages, without requiring the user to switch to private mode manually.

This can be triggered by certain characteristics of the content on the target Web page, such as a secure login dialog or a request for credit card information.

The patent was applied for back in 2011 and was granted on Jan 13. Google will likely incorporate this method into its Chrome browser to increase user security and privacy.

It looks like browser developers are getting more serious about keeping users safe on the Web. Mozilla recently added a Forget button to Firefox that wipes browser data from the last five minutes, two hours or an entire day with a single click.

➤ Automatically enabling private browsing of a web page, and applications thereof [USPTO]