Google personalizes even in incognito mode
According to a study by Google's rival DuckDuckGo, the search engine giant personalizes users' search results even when they are not logged in. Even users who browse using a new incognito session in their browser and use Google Search are tracked, the study found.
Accordingly, Google's goal is always to create the widest-reaching individual filter bubble for the user. DuckDuckGo, based in Paoli in the US state of Pennsylvania, took a close look at precisely this filter bubble reach in its more or less independent study - using the search terms "gun control", "immigration" and "vaccinations". The test involved 87 subjects, 76 of whom used a desktop PC and 11 of whom used mobile devices. The data was collected at the same time and across the United States, according to DuckDuckGo.
First, the testers searched in the privacy mode of their browser, and without being logged into Google. In another run, the normal browser mode was used. In this, information is recorded, for example in a history.
The search results have now been evaluated by DuckDuckGo in the study - organic links, the "News" infobox and the "Videos" infobox. Result: the term "gun control" yielded 62 different result pages from 76 participants who searched Google in private mode and without logging in. For "immigration," there were 57 variations. For the word "vaccinations," as many as 73 unique result pages. In normal browser mode, there were 58 variations for "gun control," 59 for "immigration," and 73 for "vaccinations." (pte)
