A Study on Private Browsing:
Consumer Usage, Knowledge, and Thoughts

January 2017

Table of Contents
Introduction

3

How Do People Use Private Browsing?

5

Why Do People Use Private Browsing?

9What Do People Know About Private Browsing?

12

How Do Consumers React to Private Browsing Knowledge?

16

Key Takeaways about Private Browsing

22

Methodology

24

A Study on Private Browsing

2

Introduction

Introduction

A Study on Private Browsing3

At DuckDuckGo, our vision is to raise the standard of trust online. To that end, we strive
to understand what people know about online privacy and how they use the privacy
features available to them. This report focuses on the feature in web browsers commonlyreferred to as “Private Browsing.”“Private Browsing,” “Privacy Mode,” “Secret Mode,” or “Incognito Mode” is a system of
web browsing that clears browsing history and file cache after use. Despite PrivateBrowsing being one of the most commonly known and used privacy features, we findthat most people misunderstand the privacy protections it provides.
Our findings are based on a survey conducted with a random sampling of 5,710
Americans who were asked to share their experiences with Private Browsing.

A Study on Private Browsing

4How Do People Use Private Browsing?

How Do People UsePrivate Browsing?

A Study on Private Browsing

546% of Americans have used Private Browsing.

On desktop, we found that 46.1 ±1.7% of people have used a “Private Browsing Mode” atleast once, and on mobile that number is 43.5 ±2.7%.

Private Browsing Usage on Desktop (USA)
50%

46.1%
38%

32.9%
25%

21.1%
13%

0%

Never heard of it

A Study on Private Browsing

Never used it

Used at least once6Of those who have used Private Browsing on desktop, 32.9 ±2.3% report using it “Daily,”while another 24.8 ± 2.1% report using it “At Least Once a Week.” On mobile, 31.5 ±3.9%
report “Daily” usage, while another 20.6 ±3.3% report usage of “At Least Once a Week.”

Private Browsing Frequency of Active Users on Desktop (USA)
40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
Daily

At Least Once a Week

Once a MonthRare Occasion

Private Browsing Frequency by Device Type (USA)40%
DesktopMobile30%

20%

10%0%

Daily

At Least Once a WeekA Study on Private Browsing

Once a MonthRare Occasion

Never Use It

Never Heard of It7

Younger people (18-29) are five times more likely to have heard of Private Browsing thanolder people (60+), but only twice as likely to have used it. This suggests that olderaudiences, while less likely to know about Private Browsing, adopt it more frequently
once they hear about it.

Private Browsing Awareness by Age (USA)
60%

45%

30%

15%

0%

18-29

30-44
Used at least once

A Study on Private Browsing

45-59

60+

Never heard of it8Why Do People Use Private Browsing?

Why Do People UsePrivate Browsing?

A Study on Private Browsing

9The number one reason people use Private Browsing is“Embarrassing Searches.”

The number one reason people use private browsing is “Embarrassing Searches,” at35.7 ±2.5%. Other reasons fell between 24.9 ±2.2% and 33.5 ±2.4%, excluding “TravelPurchases,” and “Other.”Reasons for Using Private Browsing by Device Type (USA)50%
DesktopMobile

38%

25%

13%

0%
Embarrassing
Searches

Suggestions

A Study on Private Browsing

HistoryPublic Computer

GeneralFinance

Shopping

Travel Purchases

10People who use Private Browsing daily are two times as likely to use it for “GeneralSearching” and about two and half times more likely to use it for “Shopping” than nondaily users.
Reasons for Using Private Browsing by Frequency (USA)
50%
Daily
Non-Daily
38%
25%
13%
0%

Embarrassing
Searches

Suggestions

History

Public Computer

GeneralSearching

Finance

Shopping

TravelPurchases

Other

While most reasons for using Private Browsing remain consistent across age brackets,“Embarrassing Searches” goes down with age while “General Searching” goes up.
Reasons for Using Private Browsing by Age (USA)
60%
18-29

30-44

45-59

60+

45%

30%

15%0%Embarrassing
Searches

Suggestions

A Study on Private Browsing

History

Public Computer

GeneralSearching

FinanceShopping

TravelPurchases

Other11What Do People Know About Private Browsing?

What Do People Know
About Private Browsing?

A Study on Private Browsing

1276% of Americans who use Private Browsing mode cannot
accurately identify the privacy benefit it provides.

75.8 ±2.2% of people who use Private Browsing mode cannot accurately identify theprivacy benefit it provides. Of that group, 66.5 ±2.5% overestimate the protection thatPrivate Browsing provides.

Awareness of Private Browsing Privacy Protections (USA)Correctly Identify
24.9%

Overestimate
66.6%

A Study on Private Browsing

Underestimate
8.5%

13

36% of Americans believe that Private Browsing modeprevents a search engine from knowing their searches.

The top 3 misconceptions are:•41.0 ±2.5% believe that Private Browsing “Prevents websites from tracking me.”•39.1 ±2.6% believe that Private Browsing “Prevents ads from tracking me.”•35.7 ±2.5% believe that Private Browsing “Prevents search engines from knowing mysearches.”
Most Common Misconceptions of Private Browsing (USA)

50%

38%

25%

13%

0%

Prevents
Websites fromTracking Me

Prevents Ads
fromTracking Me

A Study on Private Browsing

Prevents SearchEngines from
Knowing My Searches

Protects My
Identity fromWebsites

Prevents IP from
Being Seen

Prevents My
LocationBeing Known

Prevents
Government
Tracking

14

For the most part, the misconceptions about Private Browsing are consistent. However,younger audiences are more likely to believe a search engine couldn’t see theirsearches in Private Browsing mode, whereas older audiences are more likely to believethat Private Browsing mode would protect their IP address from being seen.
Private Browsing Misconceptions by Age (USA)
60%
18-29

30-44

45-59

60+

45%

30%

15%

0%

Prevents
Websites fromTracking Me

Prevents Ads fromTracking Me

Prevents IP from
Being Seen

Prevents SearchEngines from
Knowing My Searches

Prevents My
LocationBeing Known

Protects My
Identity
from Websites

Prevents
Government
Tracking

Private Browsing Misconceptions by Usage Frequency (USA)50%DailyWeeklyMonthly

Yearly

38%

25%

13%0%

Prevents
Websites fromTracking Me

Prevents Ads fromTracking Me

A Study on Private Browsing

Prevents IP fromBeing Seen

Prevents SearchEngines fromKnowing My Searches

Prevents MyLocation
Being Known

Protects My
Identity
from Websites

Prevents
Government
Tracking

15

How Do Consumers React to Private Browsing
Knowledge?

How Do Consumers
React to PrivateBrowsing Knowledge?

A Study on Private Browsing

16

After asking about Private Browsing usage and knowledge, we informed people about
what privacy protections Private Browsing provides, and asked about their emotional
reaction:
Private Browsing mode only prevents your browser history from being recordedon your computer and does not oﬀer any additional protection such as preventing
the websites you visit from collecting your information (e.g. your searches on asearch engine). How does that make you feel?

Of the 75.8 ±2.2% of people who have misconceptions about private browsing
protections, 65.9 ±2.4% feel “Surprised”, “Misled”, “Confused” or “Vulnerable” uponlearning about its real protections.

Emotional Reactions to Private Browsing Protections for Desktop (USA)40%

30%

20%

10%0%
Content

A Study on Private Browsing

NeutralSurprised

MisledConfused

Vulnerable

17These emotional reactions span age. One notable diﬀerence is that 32.1 ±6.4% of people
over 60 feel “Vulnerable” upon learning about Private Browsing’s limitations, vs less than
25% in other age groups.

Emotional Reactions to Private Browsing Protections by Age (Desktop, USA)
40%

30%

20%

10%0%
Surprised

A Study on Private Browsing

MisledConfused

Vulnerable

18-29

30-44

45-59

NeutralContent60+18

64% of Americans “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” with thestatement “I wish my browser did more to protect my privacy.”

When then asked users to agree or disagree with the statement “My browser does
enough to protect my privacy,” we found a rather even split. When further asked to agree
or disagree with the statement “I wish my browser did more to protect my privacy,” users
were much more strongly in favor of additional privacy protection.

“My Browser Does Enoughfor Privacy” (USA)“I Wish My Browser Did More toProtect My Privacy” (USA)
6.7%

31.3%

33.6%
28.9%
64.4%

35.1%

AgreeNeitherA Study on Private Browsing

DisagreeAgree

NeitherDisagree

19Once again, these findings were consistent across every age group.
“I Wish My Browser did more to Protect My Privacy” by Age (USA)50%< 2930-59

60+38%

25%

13%

0%
STRONGLY AGREE

AGREE

NEITHER AGREE OR DISAGREEDISAGREE

STRONGLY DISAGREE

Though when comparing Desktop vs Mobile, we saw a slight skew with mobile users
being more likely to “Strongly Agree” than “Agree.”“I Wish My Browser did more to Protect My Privacy” by Device Type (USA)50%DesktopMobile

38%25%13%0%
STRONGLY AGREE

AGREE

NEITHER AGREE OR DISAGREEDISAGREE

STRONGLY DISAGREE

Will People Act to Protect

A Study on Private Browsing

20

84% of Americans would consider trying another major
web browser if it oﬀered more features to help protect
their privacy.

We found people willing to make major changes to better protect their privacy.
84.2 ±1.9% of people say they would “consider trying another major web browser if it
oﬀered more features to help protect your privacy,” and 83.7 ±2.0% say they would“consider trying another major web browser if it oﬀered a Private Browsing mode thatuses a search engine that didn’t track your searches.”“Would you consider trying anothermajor browser if it oﬀered additional
privacy features?” (USA)15.8%“Would you consider trying anothermajor web browser if it had a private
browsing mode that used a searchengine that didn't track yoursearches?” (USA)

16.3%

84.2%

Yes, I would consider
No, I would not consider
A Study on Private Browsing

83.7%

Yes, I would consider
No, I would not consider
21Key Takeaways about Private Browsing

Key Takeaways aboutPrivate Browsing

A Study on Private Browsing

22

1.

With 46.1 ± 1.7% of American’s having used Private Browsing at least once and26.7 ±3.0% using it at least once a week, it is clear that Private Browsing is a popularprivacy protecting feature.

2. However, 75.8 ±2.2% of people who use Private Browsing incorrectly identify theprotection that it provides. As 66.5 ±2.5% overestimate its benefits, this leaves amajority of Private Browsing users exposed more than they think they are.
3. When people find out what private browsing actually does, 65.9 ±2.4% feel
“Surprised”, “Misled”, “Confused” or “Vulnerable.” 64.0 ±2.6% of people believe their
web browser should do more to protect their privacy, and 84.2 ±1.9% are open totrying to a diﬀerent major web browser if it would provide more privacy protection.

A Study on Private Browsing

23

Methodology

Methodology

A Study on Private Browsing

24

These results are based on the polling of a random sample of 5,710 Americans via
SurveyMonkey’s “Audience” program that “ensures panelists are representative of theU.S. population.” Heen, Lieberman and Miethe (2014) confirmed, “Depending on thepurpose of the survey research, the average discrepancy rate of 5 to 10% between theparticular demographic characteristics of online respondents and their known distribution
in the U.S. population may or may not be problematic.”1
During this survey, respondents reserved the right to decline to answer any survey
question. This was allowed in order to prevent biasing answers in the event a user did
not understand the question, felt uncomfortable answering the question, or felt there wasno answer that accurately represented their response. In these cases of “item nonresponse,” the sample population size was adjusted for that question. A respondent who
did not complete all the questions still had their responses included in questions they didcomplete. The only exception are statements made in this survey that required
responses from more than one question.
Respondents were compensated for participation in this survey.

1. http://www.unlv.edu/sites/default/files/page_files/27/ComparisonDifferentOnlineSampling.pdf

A Study on Private Browsing

25