Many people opt for Google Chrome’s Incognito mode when they want a sense of privacy with no trace in their browser history, but web developers have long been able to track whether an individual is using Incognito Mode. Google knows this, which is why the tech giant is finally bringing a fix to the problem.
When you’re using Incognito Mode, the FileSystem API is disabled, meaning that web developers will only need to try to create a file using the FileSystem API to determine whether you’re in Incognito or not. If they can’t do so, then they’ll know that you are in Incognito.
However, Google’s fix to this issue is to create a virtual file system using your PC’s RAM when you’re browsing in Incognito, and then deleting it once you exit the mode. This will defeat all methods of determining whether one is in normal browsing mode or Incognito Mode because the file system can still be created even when you’re in Incognito.
9to5Google also reported that Google’s final goal is to remove the FileSystem API as it seems like the API is only used for Incognito Mode detection. That aside, this feature is expected to be available in Chrome 74 which is only two version away from the current one.
