Many users heavily rely on private web browsers to hide their digital footprint and maintain privacy. Over the years, Google Chrome’s Incognito mode has become one of the trusted private web browsers, but is it really private? Well, reports suggest that Chrome and Microsoft Edge stored copied text in Windows clipboard history when browsing in incognito mode, which became a problematic privacy concern for users. This cloud syncing of copied text makes personal data more vulnerable for hackers to use against you. Therefore, to deal with this situation, Microsoft has rolled out a new Windows 11 update to enhance Incognito mode privacy on Chrome. Know how the new updates work to enhance user privacy.
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New Windows 11 update makes private browsing secure
Before getting into the new New Windows 11, let’s first understand the logic behind clipboard history and why is it a major security concern. Well, we all are aware of the functionality where we copy a text from one place and paste it into another. These copied text gets saved on the device’s clipboard which can later be accessed by users via cloud syncing services on other devices. But why is it a security concern? Since many users prefer browsing in Incognito mode for privacy and security reasons, this clipboard history scrapes the protective layer making private data accessible and it can be misused by hackers and online scammers.
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Now, to avoid saving clipboard history, Microsoft has rolled out a new update, which disabled Google Chrome from saving clipboard history. This enhancement was done in collaboration as Microsoft added a new code to clipboard formats which restricts any privacy intervention in private windows. Microsoft said, “This update demonstrates that when it comes to privacy enhancements, sometimes a little intervention from outside the usual suspects can make a world of difference.”
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This new update also applies to viewing videos in incognito mode, as media players can also gain access to what is being played in the browser, and it is displayed as a preview when you shift to another window or adjust the volume. This marks a major privacy enhancement which can easily go unnoticed by the users. Apart from this, the new Windows 11 24H2 update has reportedly had many issues and Microsoft is currently working to improve the user experience.
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