A convenient browsing experience is a good one, but a convenient and private browsing experience is even better. Deleting your browsing history routinely can help keep you safer and more private while using the world’s greatest resource; the World Wide Web.
Browsing history is a collection of data about the activity you conduct while surfing the web. It includes things like the websites you visit, and the files you download. For the most part, the history collected makes web surfing more convenient for the user. You can take a look back at the pages you’ve visited before to easily find them again, redownload files you may have deleted, and more. However, browsing history may not be all it’s cracked up to be. The data it saves could be leaked in breaches or sold to third parties. It can even create awkward conversations if something “intimate” is discovered by someone sharing your browser.
Here’s what you should know about browsing history:
Why Delete Your Browser History?
Having access to your browsing history simply makes browsing better. However, this blog is all about telling you to erase it. Why would you do that if it makes the web more convenient?
Let’s take a look:
• Stored login credentials put you at risk
• Tracking cookies sell your data
• You may see less ads
• Some stored data can cause errors
• Your “sensitive” searches are accessible by anyone
Seriously, because some cookies can follow you even when you use incognito mode, some of your searches aren’t as private as you want them to be if you share devices with loved ones. Buying presents for special occasions can lead to the surprise being ruined if cookies display the item in a targeted ad, and even more *ahem* private searches can be found out. Clearing your browsing history can prevent that awkward conversation.
Did you even know that some cookies are useful. But some track you on your travels across the internet, making them more of a privacy concern than a convenience. When the data collected by these cookies is sold to third parties (often without user consent, or through coerced consent), it allows organizations to create detailed user profiles about you based on your searches and interests which they can use for any purpose. Clearing your browsing history prevents cookies from tracking you for days, weeks, or even months and years.
Please let’s be guided and good luck!
