Google to close ‘incognito’ loophole, leaving some publisher paywall strategies in strife

Consumers desperate to avoid publishers’ paywalls may have been thrown a lifeline, with Google strengthening the privacy of its ‘incognito’ browsing mode.

At the moment, even if a consumer is in incognito mode – ostensibly protecting their privacy – sites have been able to detect them. This has, until now, allowed publishers to stop people from avoiding metered paywalls, and forced them to log in.

Photo by Paweł Czerwiński on Unsplash

From 30 July, however, Google’s Chrome browser will “remedy” this loophole, which the tech company admits will affect some publishers.