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Chrome offers a very safe browsing experience, but there are several features you should
know about that will help you manage your privacy online. In this video, I'm going to
show you how to clear your history, browse in incognito mode, and manage your ad preferences.
But first, let's take a look at some of the ways Chrome is working to protect you from
security risks.
Whenever you navigate to a website, Chrome will display a security indicator next to
the address in the Omnibox. Understanding what these indicators mean can help you stay
safe when entering personal information online.
The globe means the site isn't using a secure connection - but that's okay. Most sites that
you encounter don't need one, simply because they aren't handling sensitive information.
HTTPS means the site is using a secure connection. Always look for this symbol when entering
details like your birthdate or credit card number.
The red indicator is for an insecure connection. This means Chrome has detected a problem with
the site. Never enter personal information on a site that's insecure.
In order to keep you and your computer safe while browsing the web, Chrome automatically
downloads a list of dangerous sites to your hard drive - sites that are suspected of phishing,
malware, and other threats to your security.
If you navigate to one of these sites, Chrome will display a warning like the one seen here.
All you have to do is click the button that says Go back… and Chrome will take you back
to safety, away from the site.
Like all browsers, Chrome keeps a history of the sites you visit. Even though this information
is stored privately on your computer, there may come a time when you want to delete it;
for example, if you share your computer with someone else in the house.
To access your history, click the wrench icon in the upper right corner… then choose History
from the menu. Here, you'll find a list of every site you've been to in the last few
weeks, or even the last few months (depending on the last time you cleared your data).
If you want to delete a specific site, hover over it with your mouse… then check the
box. You can check as many boxes as you want.
When you're ready, click Remove selected items… then OK to confirm… and they'll be deleted
from the list.
Clearing your entire history is just as easy. Start by clicking the button that says Clear
all browsing data. A dialog box will open in a separate tab.
Here, you can choose a time range, and also the type of information you want to delete.
For example, you might want to remove information only from the past hour, or from the past
day. You might also want to remove all of your browsing data, but keep your saved passwords.
When you're ready, click Clear browsing data… and Chrome will delete whatever you specified.
For added privacy, there's also Incognito mode. This allows you to browse the web without
Chrome recording your history or saving cookies at all. This is a great way to keep your activity
secret; for example, if you're buying a gift for someone who shares your computer.
Using Incognito mode is simple. Just click the wrench icon in the upper right corner…
then click New incognito window.
The window will appear with a special icon to show that you're now browsing in private.
Use the window just like you would use a normal window in Chrome.
As you know, Chrome offers a very safe experience browsing the web. The default privacy settings
are actually very effective.
However, it's important to realize that no matter what browser you use, Google is collecting
data about you whenever you access one of their services; for example, Google Search
or Gmail.
Google uses that information to partner with other websites, and bring you ads that are
relevant to you and your interests (sometimes called targeted ads). Some people aren't comfortable
with this, so if you want to stop targeted ads, you can opt out of them.
To get started, navigate to the Google Privacy Center from the Google homepage. Click Privacy
& Terms… then click Privacy near the top of the page.
Now click Tools… and look for the link that says Ads Preferences Manager.
Here, there are a couple things you can do to protect your privacy. First, under Ads
on Search and Gmail, you can Opt out to stop Google from using your search terms to serve
you targeted ads.
Click the Opt out button in the center pane… and the page will reload to confirm your choice.
You can do the same for Ads on the web.
This option controls ads that are provided by Google on other websites; for example blogs
and various news sources. To continue, click the link that says remove or edit.
Here, you can view a list of interests and inferred demographics that Google uses to
deliver interest-based ads. To delete an item, click Remove. Or, if you don't want Google
to tailor ads to your interests at all, you can click the Opt out button.
None of these options will stop you from receiving ads all together, but they will stop unwanted
targeted ads that are based on your interests, demographics, and search terms.
If you clear your browsing data, you may find that you need to go back to the Ads Preferences
Manager, and opt out again. You can avoid this by installing a special extension called
Keep My Opt-Outs. Just look for it on the same Tools page as before.
You can also find the extension by searching for it in the web store. To install Keep My
Opt-Outs, click Add to Chrome… then Add to confirm… and your opt outs will be permanently
saved.
As you can see, there are lots ways Chrome is working to protect you online, and give
you the tools you need to manage your privacy. Remember these tips the next time you want
to delete your history, browse in private, or manage your ads.